Brian Gassaway passed away this past weekend.

Rest in peace :frowning:

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Wesley Gassaway

October 16 at 8:06 AM ·

My brother Brian Gassaway lost his battle with mental health today. CTE is a very hard thing. Rest In Peace brother.

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Sad news.

RIP.

So CTE caused him mental issues?

Rip nonetheless

I think they’re finding CTE causes all kinds of mental problems. It’s essentially brain damage that has personality and mood changing implications

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A UG member made a thread after if happened:

RIP

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RIP

There has been a lot of progress in the research of traumatic brain injuries. Brian was from a time that we did not necessary fully understand the long-term effects brain trauma would have. If you’ve had to deal with sever concussions the changes that happen in your mood, sensitivity to light, ability to manage your emotions is alarming. You’re a different person. Take that, and amplify it by a 100. That’s what someone who has had Brian’s career has to balance.

Make no mistake, CTE is absolutely life threatening. I hope he has found peace and the people in his life he has left behind can find comfort in knowing his pain is now over.

We will see a lot more of this in the coming years. Take care of your friends.

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RIP

I have a horrible feeling that we will start seeing a lot of former MMA fighters dying young due to CTE from training and fighting, as well as from the lifestyle(organ damage due to PEDs and weight-cutting, etc). I anticipate an epidemic similar to the wave of pro wrestlers dying in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

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Rest in Peace

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We will see A LOT more suicides like this as well

RIP

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It seems pretty common in football . I saw the clip with Spencer’s Fisher and it is a terrible illness indeed. Doesn’t seem to be a way to prevent it either other than abstaining from certain sports altogether

So sorry to read this. I watched a lot of his fights and he was a beast. Rest in peace man.

May he Rest In Peace.

Rest in peace bro, that’s a tough one.

A lot of uneducated speculation in here.

Met him when he was training with Shonie Carter when Shonie made his first fight back in the UFC against Nate Quarry in AC. Quiet nice guy. RIP

Wow, I took a couple of classes with him at CFC when I was looking for a place to train. He was a great guy.

Back in the Ironheart Crown days, if he wasn’t on the card, he’d usually sit at the table with the UG Ironheart Crown Cult. I think I may be the only guy from those days still posting here.

He was well spoken and kind of quiet, but super friendly and he’d always offer insight during the fights and explain the some of the rules because they were fighting with the Shooto rules, which weren’t the same as the UFCs.

RIP Brian

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