Justin Levens 'Never the Same' After Suicide of Fellow IFL Fighter Jeremy Williams

Posted Dec 18, 2008 1:35PM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed)

Filed Under: IFL

The death of Justin Levens, a mixed martial arts fighter who was found in his home, along with his wife, in a possible murder-suicide, is bringing back painful memories of the suicide of another MMA fighter, Jeremy Williams.

Sports Deaths in 2008

Dec. 17: MMA fighter Justin Levens and his wife are found dead in their California condominium in what police believe is an apparent murder-suicide.

Jeff Gross, Getty Images

Sammy Baugh, Dec. 17: Perhaps the greatest Washington Redskin of all time and the last surviving member of the first Pro Football Hall of Fame class dies at the age of 94.

Chris Richardson, Dec. 11: The Harlem Globetrotter, and former standout at UNLV, dies in his sleep. It is believed he died of natural causes.

D. Clarke Evans, NBAE / Getty Images

Billey Joe Johnson, Dec. 8: The High school football star from Alabama dies at a police stop.

Rivals.com

Ted Rogers, Dec. 2: Rogers, the founder of Canada's largest cable company and the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays since 2000, dies in his home at the age of 75.

Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press / AP

Pit Martin, Dec. 2: The 64-year-old four-time NHL All-Star dies after his snowmobile plunges into an icy lake near his home in Quebec.

Steve Babineau, Getty Images / NHLI

Armand Guidolin, Nov. 24: He was the youngest player to ever play in the NHL and went on to coach Boston and Colorado.

Will Barrow, Nov. 22: The rising lacrosse star was only 22 years old. A cause of death has yet to be released.

Jim Rogash, Getty Images

Bob Jeter, Nov. 20: The NFL cornerback, seen here late in his career with the Bears, started in Super Bowls I and II for the Packers.

NFL

Pete Newell, Nov. 17: The Hall of Fame basketball coach led California to a national championship in 1959 and the United States to Olympic gold in 1960.

Dino Vournas, AP

Mike Chiappetta of NBC Sports reports that Levens was devastated when Williams, his friend and International Fight League teammate, committed suicide last year:

An anonymous source that spent time with Levens in recent months told NBCSports.com that he was "never the same" after the suicide of one of his close friends, former IFL fighter and teammate Jeremy Williams.

Williams shot himself in 2007. Levens, who briefly appeared in the UFC, hadn't fought in more than a year, was not under contract to any MMA organization and was currently serving a suspension for testing positive for the painkiller oxymorphone.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-18-2008 @ 4:01PM

NILES said...

I THINK IT IS SAD ABOUT HIS WIFE AND HIM ALSO , AND ALSO FOR ALL THE DUMB PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO HAS NOTHING BUT MEAN THINGS TO SAY ABOUT PEOPLE .

12-18-2008 @ 4:49PM

Karnac said...

The danger comes from TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY combined with chemical additives (steroids, amps, etc.) . Look to the traumatic brain injuries in Iraq & Afghanistan - if you are not afraid yet, you sure as hell should be. Look to Muhammed Ali - his sever Parkinson's is a direct result of repeated brain injury. Dwight Clark retired because his brain could not sustain one more injury. People have died from brain injury. MEN wjho engage in this 'sport' are nothing more than animals AND animals know better - men who watch it are sadists.

12-18-2008 @ 5:16PM

Eric said...

What does your comment have to do with the murder/suicide? You can't be dumb enough to think that because he took a few punches in the head, that it made him suicidal ... ?

People commit suicide in all walks of life. I have only heard of a couple suicides in MMA out of tens of thousands of fighters. I would put those percentages against that of musicians, actors, postal workers, or any other profession!

I truly believe that the training and the discipline makes fighters even more mentally tough than your average person.

You really shouldn't stereotype and make your own medical opinions based on nothing more than conjecture.

12-18-2008 @ 8:32PM

ERIC - Oxymorphone does not contribute to a helathy brain or healthy life choices either. I suggest you research traumatic brain injury and THAT coupled with OBVIOUS mental illness (i.e. depression) and drug abuse (oxymorphone and what else?) is a lethal combination. This MMA and UF are not "sport" and should be banned. It is so completley inhuman. ONLY testosterone engorged human males would engage in this STUPID, animal-like behavior for 'pleasure'. Even the lowest animals do not engage in such behavior. What is wrong with men? Brutality is ugly in every form - and this is sheer brutality for 'sport'.

12-19-2008 @ 8:51AM

Once again ... what does this crap you are spreading have to do with MMA or the terrible event that has happened?

From what I have heard (facts ... not your conjecture), he had a good friend die last year and was possibly hooked on pain killers. These are the contributing factors to this horrific event, not being an MMA fighter!!

Karnac - you need to get in touch with reality ...

12-20-2008 @ 9:56PM

Stephanie said...

Karnac,
Men aren't the only ones who watch MMA/UFC. They aren't the only ones who participate, either. I don't classify myself as a sadist, nor my husband. By bringing Ali into this discussion, are you saying that people who watch/participate in boxing are sadistic as well? Educate yourself on the subject before spewing your venom. I will agree that the drug use screwed him up. That's why he wasn't able to fight in July.

Now, to the rest... my condolences to the family. May God be with them in their grief.

12-19-2008 @ 1:30PM

I brought up Ali because of his repeated traumatic brain injury resulted (or was a factor in) in his severe Parkinson's. I don't have a problem with legitimate boxing - though I don't see the point. I grew up on Friday Night Fights with my dad. I still think that two people (or more) in a ring - or cage (ugh) - pummeling each other to oblivion is not sport, nor is it entertaining. Women doing it - or enjoying it is just plain repulsive. Female boxing - meh - it's OK - but still gross and unfeminine - although Leila Ali is very beautiful and sexy outside the ring. THAT being said - my condolences to the families - they may never know what prompted this tragedy - the fact remains two people are dead.

12-19-2008 @ 2:18PM

OK, I see ... your a complete hypocrite. Got it!!

So it's OK to get repeatedly beaten in the head for 11 rounds(EX: Oscar Diaz) and end up in a coma for 2 months, but a quick KO (EX: Liddell vs Rashad) or a quick submission (EX:Fedor vs Sylvia) in which the losing fighter leaves the ring fully aware and under their own power is barbaric? ... What!!

Even the worst of examples in MMA (Yoshida, Hill) turned out to be nothing more than a concussion and a broken leg.

You need to better educate yourself before spewing all of your BS.

12-23-2008 @ 4:35PM

dmr said...

sorry, but the most dangerous sport in the world is football.. by far the hardest hitting, destroyed going across the middle. constant blows to the head and the rest of the body. day in and day out for over 20 years if u make it to the pros. add up the injuries and career ending injuries, hooked on pain pills, and amount of deaths, boxing or mma doesnt even come close to the dangers and i am a huge fan of all three.the only time a fighter dies in the ring is because he just happens to be able to take a beating without going down. only one death in mma. and less than 50 in boxing, i could be wrong. hundreds have died playing football, mainly due to stupidity. but the after affects and injuries are in the 1000s. and unfortunatly many people commit suicide of all ages and all walks of life, none any more than the other. it is sad.

12-29-2008 @ 7:52AM

JESSIE said...

Stating Boxing as more acceptable / safer than MMA is possibly one of the most uneducated and ignorant comments that I have heard in a long, long time.

Well done, your foolishness is rivaled by few!