Travis Fulton, veteran of 320 MMA fights, found dead in jail cell at age 44

UFC vet Travis Fulton, who holds the record for most mixed martial arts bouts with 320 MMA fights, was found dead in his jail cell at age 44.

KWWL in Cedar Rapids, Iowa reported that Fulton was found dead in his cell at Linn County Jail on Saturday morning. According to the report, “staff members made the discovery just before 4:00 AM in a dormitory-style cellblock. The inmate, a middle-aged white male (later confirmed as Fulton), was believed to have hung himself. Linn County Correctional staff immediately started performing lifesaving measures. Area ambulance personnel arrived within minutes and provided advanced medical care and transported him to Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at 5:00 AM.”

Fulton earlier this year was indicted on charges of child pornography and domestic violence. The Gazette confirmed that Fulton hung himself after reaching a plea deal with investigators on child pornography charges just hours earlier on Friday. According to the report, “court records show initially he was indicted on charges he enticed a girl under age 18 to engage in sexual behavior that he photographed over the span of several years. In March, a federal grand jury expanded the indictment to add another victim, also a girl under 18. Besides the felony sexual exploitation charges, Fulton also faced charges of receiving and possessing child porn… Court papers filed last Friday — hours before Fulton was discovered unresponsive — show he agreed to plead guilty to two of the four charges: one of the exploitation counts and the possessions of child porn count. A federal judge canceled a trial date and set a July 23 plea hearing.”

Travis Fulton holds the MMA record for most fights with 320 professional mixed martial arts contests. He also holds the record in the sport for most victories with 255. Fulton twice fought in the UFC, at UFC 20 and UFC 21, defeating David Dodd by decision and losing by submission to Pete Williams in the Octagon. In his career, Fulton had notable wins over the likes of Joe Riggs, Heath Herring, and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira, among others.