MMA vet Fulton believed to have died by suicide

Travis Fulton was awaiting trial on charges of child pornography.

MMA veteran Travis Fulton died of suicide this weekend in a jail cell in Linn County, IA according to a release from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. His body was discovered around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday during a routine cell check. He pronounced dead around an hour later. He was 44.

Fulton had been in custody since February having been indicted with sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child porn and receipt of child porn. It was initially reported that Fulton was accused of possessing pornographic media involving children under 12 between 2018 and 2020. It was also alleged that Fulton contacted a minor in 2020 with the intention of engaging in sexual conduct and the creation of pornography. Fulton plead not guilty to these charges.

Fulton was also awaiting trial on a domestic violence charge. In 2019 he was accused of striking a woman repeatedly in the head and back, causing injuries that required hospital treatment.

In MMA Fulton was known as ‘The Ironman’ and was notable for having over 300 pro fights on his record.

His first ever fight was in 1996. In 1999, while he had a record 57-14-5, he debuted for the UFC, losing to Pete Williams at UFC 20: Battle for Gold. His second and last UFC appearance was a win over David Dodd at UFC 21: Return of the Champions later that same year.

His most recent MMA fight was a win over Shannon Ritch at Road to M-1 USA 2 in 2019. That year Fulton also competed in boxing and bare knuckle boxing bouts.