Grigory Ponomarev dies at 31 from a blood clot.

Grigory Ponomarev, former heavyweight champion of AMC Fight Nights, died suddenly on September 20 at just 31 years old. The news of the Russian fighter's death was confirmed by Fight Nights itself and by the Russian MMA Union, while the first details about the possible cause of death emerged in the following hours.

According to former fighter Maxim Divnich, who said he had spoken directly with Ponomarev's family, his death was reportedly caused by a dislodged blood clot. Divnich added that the fighter had suffered from problems with his leg and knee, had been dealing with some inflammatory processes, and had recently had, or was still suffering from, tonsillitis. His condition had reportedly become serious in recent times.

In the first hours following his death, TASS, citing one of its own sources, had also preliminarily indicated a blood clot as the possible cause of death.

However, no medical or autopsy report appears to have been made public so far that would allow a more precise reconstruction of what happened. Several media outlets have referred to an embolism, a possible consequence of a dislodged blood clot, but the information directly reported by sources close to the family remains, for now, that of a blood clot.

Ponomarev was one of the most recognizable heavyweights on the Russian scene. Born on July 18, 1995, he stood almost 2 meters tall and competed at around 130 kg. After a career in amateur MMA that saw him win silver at the Russian Championships and the Russian Cup in 2018 and earn a place on the Russian national team, he turned professional in 2020.

During his professional career he competed in 9 fights, winning 6 and losing 3. 5 of his 6 victories came by KO or TKO.

The most important part of his career was tied to his rivalry with Yusup Shuaev. The two faced each other 3 times in just over 1 year. Ponomarev lost their first fight in March 2022, took his revenge in October of the same year by capturing the Fight Nights heavyweight title with a rear naked choke, and then defended the title against Shuaev in March 2023, stopping him by TKO in the first round.

It was Shuaev himself, who had meanwhile become his friend, who was among the first to publicly announce his death.

Ponomarev's MMA career, however, came to an end just a few months later, in the worst possible way.

On August 11, 2023, he made his ACA debut against Mukhomad Vakhaev in the quarterfinals of the Heavyweight Grand Prix. The fight lasted just 35 seconds. After a grappling exchange, while trying to get back to his feet, Ponomarev's left knee gave way, bending unnaturally and forcing him to immediately stop the fight. Sherdog officially records the loss as a TKO due to a leg injury.

The injury proved to be extremely serious.

Ponomarev later said that, once he reached the hospital, doctors had also discovered compression of an artery. The fighter spoke of a torn anterior cruciate ligament and at least one other ligament. The surgery planned after the injury was also postponed due to the presence of an inflammatory process.

Despite everything, the Russian immediately tried to return to training. In October 2023, he even said that he had resumed boxing while waiting for surgery, against the advice of some of the doctors treating him. His goal was to return to competition as soon as possible.

That return to MMA, however, would never happen.

Ponomarev nevertheless continued to practice sports and in recent times had become seriously involved in armwrestling. This is also an important detail when reconstructing the circumstances surrounding his death: although some reports have linked the blood clot to a long period of inactivity following the injury, Ponomarev had returned to training and competing.

His name still appears among the competitors registered in the over 105 kg category of AMC Armwrestling at the end of August, and he was scheduled to face Nizami Tagiev on September 26, just 6 days after his death, at Armatura 13 in Moscow.

The serious injury suffered in 2023, the subsequent knee problems and the inflammatory processes mentioned by Divnich inevitably form part of the fighter's known medical history, but at present there is not enough evidence to establish a direct connection between that incident, which occurred more than 3 years ago, and the blood clot that reportedly caused his death.

Outside MMA, Ponomarev had meanwhile begun a new professional life. He had studied in the healthcare field, worked in cosmetology, and continued to remain involved in the world of combat sports, also working with other athletes.

He leaves behind his wife Dulma Lumbunova, a Russian boxing champion, and 2 young children.

In a message published after her husband's death, Lumbunova said that even during his final hours, Ponomarev continued to worry about his students, messaging them and writing down what they needed to do instead of focusing on his own condition.

A sudden death that has deeply affected the world of Russian combat sports and that, at least for now, still leaves several unanswered questions. The cause indicated by people close to the family is a dislodged blood clot; understanding whether and to what extent the old injury, the problems with his leg, or other recent conditions may have contributed will require medical information that has not yet been made public.