“This Hurts”: 38-Year-Old Former UFC Star’s Sudden Death Leaves Bodybuilding Legend Devastated

Flex Wheeler, the legendary former IFBB professional bodybuilder, recently shared a heartfelt post through his Instagram handle. The athlete shared the news of his close friend and MMA fighter Anthony Johnson with his fans, who succumbed to illness.

Flex Wheeler is a five-time Ironman Pro winner and has also won the Arnold Classic for a record four times. Wheeler had a troubled childhood, battling poverty and dyslexia. At fourteen, Wheeler discovered he was leaking a lot of protein through his urine and later dealt with kidney failure.

Flex Wheeler remembers Anthony Johnson

Flex Wheeler broke the news to his fans about the sudden demise of his close friend and MMA fighter, Anthony Johnson. The four-time Arnold Classic winner captioned the image, “THIS HURTS AND DEEPLY SADDENED ME. I have always loved you like a younger brother. I will always remember our deep conversations Rumbles. No more suffering little brother. REST IN POWER AND ILL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.”

His post quickly gained attraction from his fans, who went on to drop condolence messages in the comment section.

One of the users wrote, “So sorry brother I knew not of this. Rest in peace AJ.” Another one wrote, “Blessed in heaven champion on earth.” One more user wrote, “My sincere condolences sir.”

As reported by Yahoo Sports, Johnson, 38, died of organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. It is a rare disorder in the immune system.

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As an MMA fighter, Johnson held an overall record of 23-6 and was one of the most feared punchers in the sport. During his run with UFC from 2007 until 2017, Johnson held a record of 13-6 and competed in Welterweight, Lightweight and middleweight divisions.

His close friend’s sudden demise shocked Wheeler. The bodybuilder considers Johnson his little brother and recalls all the old memories he shared with his friend. Wheeler emphasized that no one has a guarantee of time and that every second is precious.

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In these times of grief and loss, we hope that the athlete’s family and friends have the necessary support to cope with tough times.