Justin Thornton lays on the canvas after being knocked out by Dillon Cleckler - Photo by Phil Lambert for Bare Knuckle FC
Dillon Cleckler issues heartfelt statement after his BKFC 20 opponent Justin Thornton passes away
Dillon Cleckler was heartbroken when he heard the news that Justin Thornton, who he brutally knocked out in August at BKFC 20 passed away.
Cleckler says he and Thornton got along and considered each other friends as they fought each other twice, once in MMA and once in BKFC. Cleckler won by first-round knockout both times but in the bare-knuckle fight, he KO’d him in 18 seconds and the way Thornton fell did not look good. He has been in the hospital since then and on Monday he passed away which was heartbreaking to hear for Cleckler.
“As a fighter nothing prepares you for the news I received this morning on my way to training,” Cleckler wrote in a Facebook post. “Some of you may not of heard yet but my last opponent Justin Thornton passed away last night due to pneumonia. I can’t help but feel absolutely devastated about this because I’ve known Justin for years. Not many people know this but we fought 8 years ago and he told me right away he wanted the rematch. I know that when he got the phone call to finally get that rematch on a bigger stage he saw a huge opportunity and took it. Justin is a warrior. It’s in his blood to fight. He loved it. He fought anyone, anytime and anywhere and when I didn’t have an opponent, he still jumped at the opportunity to get in there with me again. Any man or woman who steps in the ring or the cage is special, [sic] they take a risk (that) 99.99% of the world would never take and sometimes I still don’t know why we do it but Justin was a fighter his entire life and deserves nothing but respect!! My thoughts and prayers are with Justin Thornton and his family at this time. RIP warrior.”
Dillon Cleckler is 11-1 in MMA and is 3-0n in BKFC.
