Benji Radach, an early 2000s MMA vet who made a trio of appearances on UFC cards before fighting in a handful of other notable MMA promotions, passed away at 45.
Radach’s passing was confirmed by members of his family and sources to MMA Fighting on Monday. The cause of his death isn’t known at the moment.
Radach had a three-fight run in the UFC in 2002, entering the promotion after attaining five victories on the regional scene. He sprung onto the promotion’s scene with a lighting-quick win, stopping Steve Berger in 27 seconds with strikes. However, due to it being noticed that he grabbed the fence during the finishing sequence, his win was later overturned to a no-contest.
He returned later that year to give Nick Serra, the brother of Matt Serra, his first pro loss. Radach met soon-to-be title challenger Sean Sherk just a few months later, with a doctor stoppage causing him to lose the bout and end his undefeated run.
Radach wasn’t booked again in the UFC beyond that loss but continued to fight as a pro for more than a decade. He made appearances in numerous challenger MMA brands, fighting under IFL, EliteXC, Strikeforce, and Bellator. His IFL run included an impressive streak of five consecutive finishes within a year, competing an almost unheard-of six times within 12 months. He also notably beat Pride vet Murilo Rua in 2008 as part of EliteXC’s second-last show.
Radach retired from MMA in 2015 after a loss to Ben Reiter.
John McCarthy, a prominent MMA referee, spoke about Radach after his recent passing: “Benji Radach was a hard hitting SOB that was also one of the nicest and kindest man you could possibly meet,” he wrote. “Many will not know of Benji and what he accomplished in the sport of MMA, but the old timers and the hardcore fans will never forget.”
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