Emanuel Yarbrough was bigger than life, both in stature and in personality. Sadly, he passed away in Richmond, Virginia on Dec. 21. He was 51.
In his three mixed martial arts fights, “Tiny” left a lasting mark on the sport. The 6-foot-8 tall sumo wrestler made his professional fighting debut at UFC 3 in 1994 against Keith Hackney. He tipped the scales at a staggering 616 pounds. Hackney, outweighed by 416 pounds, defeated Yarbrough by TKO. Despite the loss, Yarbrough remained a fan favorite.
He’d fight two more times, defeating Tatsuo Nakano by submission in Shooto in 1998, and losing to Daiju Takase by submission at Pride 3 in June of the same year.
Yarbrough struggled with obesity throughout his life, weighing as much as 882 pounds at one point. He held the Guinness World Record for the heaviest living athlete until his death on Monday.
“Emanuel’s passion was to travel,” Yarbrough’s longtime manager, Beatrice H. Davis, wrote in a statement to UFC.com. “Even though it was not an easy task for him, it never stopped him from following his dreams, and bringing smiles to the faces of all he would meet. He was to be the subject of a new reality show, and would have continued to bring smiles to all those who had the opportunity to be blessed by his infectious, compassionate, loving presence. He will be missed by his millions of fans around the world, friends and family.”
“Emanuel constantly demonstrated the need to help the obese, particularly children,” Davis continued. “And he traveled the world and to bring awareness to obesity.”
A Gofundme page has been set up to assist Yarbrough’s mother with funeral expenses. For more information, or to donate, click here.
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