SHOCK LOSS

MMA Fighter, 27, Killed in Brutal Bear Attack

The 27-year-old had a coaching job lined up in Vancouver in June and was set to continue fighting to make his dream come true.

An MMA fighter was killed in a tragic bear attack while working at a uranium exploration site in northern Saskatchewan. Hrishikesh Koloth, 27, was doing contract work for Vancouver-based UraniumX Discovery Corp when he was attacked by a black bear—the fourth such incident in the Canadian province’s history. The bear was shot and killed by another civilian after the fatal attack. According to his brother, Arjun, Koloth was an MMA fighter who first trained in Kerala, India, his home state, and later in Canada at Skoden Martial Arts in Penticton. “That was his dream. That’s why he came here. He wanted to fight in the UFC,” Arjun told CBC. The 27-year-old had a coaching job lined up in Vancouver in June and was set to continue fighting to make his dream come true. His brother said, “A job is just a means to an end. The end was to fight.” Arjun remembers him proudly: “I want him to be remembered for what he does. Innocent heart, fighter’s soul. Warrior. And I’d just like to say he fought [the] bear. That’s all… bear didn’t attack him. He attacked the bear."