Ex-Boxing Champ Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton Dead at 46

Former two-division boxing world champion Ricky Hatton is dead at 46 years old.

The World Boxing Association confirmed Hatton’s death in a statement on Sunday. BBC was first to report his passing.

"A true champion, an indomitable spirit and a legend of the sport. Your legacy will live on in every fight and in the hearts of boxing fans around the world,” the WBA wrote on Instagram.

A British fan favorite known as “The Hitman” won titles at lightweight and welterweight over the course of a professional career that ran from 1997 to 2012. Hatton won his first 43 professional bouts before falling to Floyd Mayweather via 10th round stoppage on Dec. 8, 2007. He retired with a 45-3 career mark, with…