Joshua Kaleb "Josh" Samman (March 14, 1988 – October 5, 2016) was an American mixed martial artist who, at the time of his death, competed in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Following amateur MMA fights in 2006, Samman made his professional MMA debut in 2007. Over the next five years, he amassed a record of 9 wins and 2 losses before joining the cast of The Ultimate Fighter. In January 2013, it was revealed that Samman was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. He won his preliminary bout over Leo Bercier via TKO in the first round. However, he drew the ire of both coaches and Dana White for what they perceived to be showboating during his bout. Samman was selected by Jones as his second pick (fourth overall). In the next round, Samman defeated Tor Troéng by knockout in the first round. In the quarter final round, Samman defeated Jimmy Quinlan via submission in the first round. In the semi-finals, he faced eventual tournament winner Kelvin Gastelum. Despite being considered a heavy favorite by both coaches, Samman was quickly taken down by Gastelum and eventually submitted in the first round.
UFC middleweight Josh Samman has passed away after spending nearly a week in a coma at a hospital in Hollywood, Fla. He was 28 years old. Samman's manager Gary Ibarra confirmed the news to FOX Sports on Wednesday while also saying that the fighter's family is in mourning but will be releasing a statement at some point later in the day. Samman was found unresponsive in his apartment last Thursday by a friend, who discovered the fighter alongside his roommate and friend Troy Kirkingburg. The friend immediately called 911 and began CPR until police arrived.When authorities arrived on the scene, Samman was still unresponsive and Kirkingburg, 28, was found dead. No foul play was suspected. Samman had remained in a coma since that time. Samman's mother released a statement to FOX Sports on Monday stating that no heroin was found in his system despite online rumors that his condition was the result of a drug overdose. Samman first debuted as part of the UFC roster when he joined Jon Jones' team on the 17th season of "The Ultimate Fighter". Samman went onto win his first three fights in the UFC including back-to-back 'Performance of the Night' victories over Eddie Gordon and Caio Magalhaes.
