<
>

MMA coach Robert Follis dies at age 48; coroner rules death suicide

Renowned mixed martial arts coach Robert Follis died Friday from a gunshot to the head, Las Vegas authorities confirmed to ESPN.

The Clark County coroner's office has ruled the death a suicide. Follis was 48 years old.

Follis was a head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas for four years, and he was a key piece of former UFC bantamweight champion Miesha Tate's camp.

Last month, Follis parted ways with Xtreme Couture, ending a run that began in 2014. He told ESPN at that time he intended to stay in Las Vegas and continue coaching.

The place of his death is listed as Nevada State Route 160, which runs west out of Las Vegas through Red Rock Canyon National Park.

Before his time in Nevada, Follis was a longtime coach at Team Quest in Gresham, Oregon, which housed the likes of former UFC champion Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland.

In a social media post on Sunday, Follis' girlfriend, Myra Fukuno, called him "an incredible teacher, who opened our minds and created a space where we knew learning was possible."

UFC lightweight Kevin Lee, who trained under Follis at Xtreme Couture, wrote on Instagram, "I thank you for everything and apologize for everything more. The next gold belt is for you."