T. Walentek was part of the Ukrainian army in the war against Russia. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter
I fight in MMA. Polish fighter Tomasz Walentek lost his life during a bombing raid in the Donbass region, eastern Ukraine, while defending the country's army against Russian invasions. The athlete was a voluntary member of the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, a group created to welcome foreigners willing to join the armed forces.
The incident that took Walentek's life happened in July. On social media, the Polish MMA Association paid tribute to the fighter, mourning his death.
“It is with great sadness that we received information about the death of Tomek, a Polish volunteer who fought in Ukraine's international defense legion and lost his life. Tomek participated and won the Second MMA Championship held in Gliwice (in Poland). Rest in peace,” they wrote on social media.
A representative of MMA, Tomasz was not the only athlete in the sport to be involved in the conflict between nations. In 2021, Bellator champion Yaroslav Amos also interrupted his career to defend Ukraine. Although he has already resumed his training routine, a few months ago the welterweight (up to 77kg.) confirmed that he would not defend the belt until the issues between the countries were properly resolved.
