UFC, Strikeforce veteran Benji Radach dies at 45

UFC and Strikeforce veteran Benji Radach has died at the age of 45.

Reports about his passing were first posted by family members on Facebook, including from Radach’s stepmother and brother. Additional sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Monday.

The cause of death has not been revealed at this time.

A stalwart of the fight game dating back to his MMA debut in 2001, Radach was always considered a tough out no matter who he faced over the years.

Following a perfect 10-0 start to his career, Radach signed to the UFC in 2002, where he fought three times and amassed a 1-1 record with one no contest. Radach actually scored a knockout in his debut, however the win was overturned after the Louisiana Athletic Commission deemed that he was holding onto the cage prior to the finish.

Radach picked up his first official UFC win with a decision over Matt Serra’s younger brother Nick Serra before suffering a loss to Sean Sherk and departing the promotion.

He eventually landed in the IFL in 2007, where he fought six times in a single calendar year while amassing an impressive 5-1 record, including wins over Brian Foster, Gerald Harris, and Bristol Marunde.

Radach also fought in Elite XC, where he scored a knockout win over Murilo Rua — the older brother of UFC Hall of Famer Mauricio Rua — before eventually competing in Strikeforce against the likes of Ovince Saint Preux and Scott Smith.

His final fight came in 2015 when he suffered a loss to Ben Reiter in Bellator.

Outside of fighting, Radach also famously stopped a robbery back in 2004 when an assailant attempted to hold up the restaurant at gunpoint while he was having breakfast with fellow UFC veteran Dennis Hallman. Radach intervened by tackling the robber, wrestling the gun away from him, and ultimately delivering a punch that fractured his jaw and left him unconscious as they awaited for police to arrive.