Jordan Parsons Posthumously Diagnosed with CTE

According to a report from the Boston Globe, former Bellator MMA fighter Jordan Parsons is officially the first mixed martial arts fighter to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Dr. Bennet Omalu revealed that CTE was discovered posthumously in the brain of Parsons, who was tragically struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident by an alleged drunk driver in May. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian's Dr. Julia K. Kofler performed the autopsy on Parsons.

Parsons, who was a rising prospect with a 2-1 record in the Bellator cage, was walking in a crosswalk when a Range Rover struck him and fled the scene. Parson had to have the bottom half of his right leg amputated but eventually succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

“These findings confirm that the danger of exposure to CTE is not limited to just football, hockey, and wrestling,” Omalu was quoted as saying in the Boston Globe report. “Mixed martial arts is also a dangerous sport, and it’s time for everyone to embrace the truth.”

CTE has become a hot-bottom topic in recent years with a myriad of former NFL players being posthumously diagnosed with the disease. Omalu also revealed that former WWE wrestling stars Balls Mahoney, who died from a heart attack, and Axl Rotten, who died of a heroin overdose earlier this year.