A long-time MMA veteran known for his toughness inside the cage lost his life far from it, sending shockwaves through the combat sports community.
On December 15, 45-year-old Brazilian fighter Gerônimo ‘Mondragon’ dos Santos was found dead in the Rio Negro in the Amazon. Divers from the Amazonas fire department located him underwater, trapped beneath rocks, according to reports.
On December 14th, a day before the tragedy happened, apparently ‘MONDRAGON’ went to take a dive near São Gabriel da Cachoeira in Amazonas state.
The late Brazilian’s brother, Feliciano Borges Neto, revealed that Gerônimo didn’t know how to swim.
So, when the fighter’s girlfriend didn’t receive any response for a long time, she went to check and met with a grim scenario.
It further revealed that Gerônimo struggled in the water, crying for help.
By the time the nearby boats went in to save him, it was too late.
He drowned and never came back up. Feliciano clung to hope that his brother could still be found alive, sharing updates as the search continued for the missing fighter.
