Leon Tabbs, who worked as the lone cutman at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s inaugural event, died on Friday in Atlanta at 86 years old.
His son, Bruce, confirmed his death to multiple outlets over the weekend. Tabbs worked with the UFC as a cutman for 19 years before retiring in 2012 at the age of 80. His final event with the Las Vegas-based promotion was UFC on FX at Revel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., on June 22, 2012.
“Our father is our hero,” Bruce said in a statement given to MMAjunkie.com. “He lived a simple life enjoying it to the fullest and deserved all he earned, and more, and earned all he received.