Three-Time UFC Vet Mikey Burnett, Son Shot During Attempted Robbery in Tulsa

Retired former UFC fighter Mikey Burnett and his son were shot in a parking lot near a Tulsa, Okla., gym during what police say was an attempted robbery.

Tulsa TV station News on 6 first reported the incident. Mikey and Freddie Burnett were walking to their car following a workout when two men reportedly tried to rob them. Mikey Burnett was shot three times in the abdomen and Freddie was shot once in the leg during an altercation, according to the report. Mikey was taken to the hospital for surgery; both father and son are expected to survive.

Police say the two men fled the scene in a vehicle on the other side of the parking lot. Local authorities have not released a description of the assailants or their vehicle at this point in time.

Known as “The Eastside Assassin,” Mikey Burnett trained at the Lion’s Den and compiled a 5-2 career record from 1996 to 1999. He won two of his three UFC bouts, besting Eugenio Tadeu and Townsend Saunders while falling to Hall of Famer Pat Miletich in a welterweight title fight. He retired following his last Octagon appearance but made a brief comeback at “The Ultimate Fighter 4,” where he suffered a broken neck during a training session and subsequently lost to Din Thomas in his first fight.

Burnett, who was unable to receive the necessary surgery for his injury, later sued the reality show’s production company and health insurance provider on the grounds that the “TUF” environment “failed to provide a safe environment for the Ultimate Fighter 4 participants.”