Coroner Determines Shane del Rosario Died of Natural Causes Related to Heart Disorder

UFC heavyweight Shane del Rosario, who passed away earlier this month, died of natural causes according to his death certificate, a copy of which was obtained by MMAJunkie.com.

Del Rosario suffered from brain damage due to a lack of oxygen and an abnormal heart rhythm. The Orange County coroner’s office determined the official cause of death as anoxic encephalopathy, ventricular fibrillation and Long QT syndrome.

There were also traces of several illegal substances found in del Rosario’s body. The drugs were not listed as contributing factors to his death, but included trace amounts of cocaine, opiates, and THC.

Del Rosario was officially pronounced dead on Dec. 3. He was 30 years old.

Del Rosario was rushed to Hoag Memorial Presbyterian Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., after collapsing in his home on Nov. 26, the fighter’s representative, Jason House. The fighter was in full cardiac arrest when he arrived at a Southern California emergency room, where he was resuscitated and placed in the coronary care unit in critical condition.

Doctors tried several measures to see if del Rosario might respond, but he eventually succumbed to his condition.

Beginning his professional MMA career in 2006, del Rosario reeled off 11 consecutive wins and was widely regarded as a top heavyweight prospect.

In 2011, del Rosario became the victim of a drunk driver and was injured in a car accident. The accident injured the fighter to the point of having to bow out of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, MMAWeekly.com reported in May 2011.

Following the car wreck, del Rosario won one more Strikeforce fight before moving to the Octagon and losing the first two fights of his UFC tenure. He was scheduled to face Guto Inocente at UFC 168, but both fighters had to withdraw from the fight for undisclosed injuries.

Shane del Rosario’s professional mixed martial arts record will forever stand at 11 wins and two losses.

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