Brazilian MMA fighter Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos has died at the age of 38. The death of the Brazilian fighter was announced by his uncle, Walter Vasconcelos Jr., as he took to Facebook and wrote, “Very sad your farewell, Guilherme Vasconcelos! And so far from us in the USA. My dear nephew, my consecrated godson, father of little Naomi, much loved son of my sister Elisabete Vasconcelos, partner of his brothers, Breno and Isabela, and our extended family who today mourn his premature departure.” As per several reports, Guilherme was found dead on Tuesday in Los Angeles, United States.

A native of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, his first official fight in MMA was in May 2006, and his last fight was in October 2021. In 2014, he came to the UFC after appearing on the UFC’s reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Despite a record of 1-1 in the competition, he was still signed by Dana White and co. Vasconcelos competed only once in the UFC, and it was back in July 2014. However, it was a losing effort against Luke Zachrich, as he lost his match to a unanimous decision at UFC 175.

Non-MMA fans might also be familiar with this name since Vasconcelos was also known for being the ex-boyfriend of singer Demi Lovato, as the two dated from 2016 to 2017. The singer and the fighter were very public about their relationship, often uploading social-media posts such as cute photos of each other on their Instagram accounts. Even during the promotions for the release of her YouTube documentary, I Am: Demi Lovato, the ‘Heart Attack’ singer couldn’t help but talk about the Brazilian during her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Talking to the host, she revealed that she was very happy and that life has been really good. However, the reason behind their breakup was never revealed, although some sources claimed that it was ‘dramatic’.

While Guilherme’s uncles did not detail the cause of the fighter’s death, NFL sportswriter on Fox and friend of Vasconcelos, Jay Glazer, took to Twitter to pay his respect to his friend. But, in the process, he revealed the unfortunate cause of his passing as suicide. He tweeted, “We lost a really, REALLLLLLY sweet brother today to suicide way too early. Sweetest cat on the planet. This one is hard, was a big brother to my son, lived with me for years… help is ALWAYS right here gang. Please lean into your crew. F*ck me. Love you little bro #RIPBomba.”

After the sudden announcement, tributes started pouring in as Guilherme’s peers, such as Vinny Magalhaes and Richardson Moreira, shared their reactions. Magalhaes uploaded a picture of Guilherme while recalling how the late Brazilian was a truly good human being, while Moreira too revealed that he was stunned by the news. “Damn bro, I can’t believe how many things we shared since the beginning of it all.. You will be greatly missed. Rest in peace.” 

As soon as the announcement was made, fans couldn’t help but express their disbelief. The sudden passing away of a 38-year-old is truly heartbreaking news and one that’s hard to believe in. So it was not surprising to see many fans simply share their disbelief. A user simply stated that 38 is truly a young age to go, “That’s no age that. RIP Guilherme 🙏.” Another user was perplexed as to why so many MMA fighters such as Guilherme, Victoria Lee, and Kimbo Slice are dying so young. “So many young fighters passing away😱 so sad to hear it…” One more user chimed in to share the same sentiment on the passing of the Brazilian ‘Bomba’ at such a young age, “Rip way too young to go but he in a better place.”

Some users found it hard to digest the news. As a result, several users wondered what could be the cause behind the passing. A user asked, “What the hell happened?” while another user asked around in the comments to look for answers, “Can anyone tell me the cause here?.” The ‘Bomba’ truly had some plans ahead for the future, as evident from his last post posted on his Instagram. The post was a reel of the Brazilian working out at the gym as he revealed that he was pushing himself to the limits while working out. We at EssentiallySports would like to share our condolences with the family and friends of Guilherme Vasconcelos.