Dane Sayers: Things to know about MMA fighter from Fargo, who is dead at 33 

Dane Sayers, a professional mixed martial artist, fighting out of Moorhead in Fargo, North Dakota, has passed away at the tender age of 33.

WZFG-1100 AM broke the news over Twitter and reported that Dane Sayers' deceased body was pulled by authorities from the Red River near Riverside Cemetery in south Fargo on June 5 after some kayakers found him. An autopsy has been performed, although the results have not been made public.

BREAKING: Fargo Police say 33-year-old Dane Sayers was the man pulled from the Red River Saturday, June 5th. Sayers was a professional MMA Fighter out of Moorhead. An autopsy has been performed, and results are pending #wdaynewsfirst

— AM 1100 The Flag WZFG (@theflagwzfg) June 7, 2021

Dane Sayers was 12-4 in his professional MMA career. His last appearance inside the cage was in 2018 when he fought Indalecio Tat Romero at LFA 38 and lost via decision.

R.I.P. to @LFAfighting veteran @DANESAYERS. 🙏@DANESAYERS was a longtime #MMA veteran, contestant on #TUF12, graced our LFA Octagon and was a deeply respected member of the North Dakota and MMA communities.Our deepest condolences go out to your family, friends and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/5h6L28nucU

— LFA (@LFAfighting) June 7, 2021

He competed once after that at the inaugural event of Ken Shamrock's Valor Bare Knuckle Fighting and lost to Josh Dyer in a first-round TKO.

Watch the fight below:

Here are some of the things you might want to know about the young and promising MMA fighter.

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Dane Sayers featured on Season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter

Dane Sayers entered the larger world of mixed martial arts when he participated in season 12 of UFC's reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter, in 2010, coached by Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck. Dane Sayers went 1-1 in TUF 12 as part of GSP's team. Sayers dropped a decision to Sako Chivitchian to get knocked out of the tournament after earning a submission win over Ariel Saxton in the Elimination Round.

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Georges St-Pierre gifted Dane Sayers a chessboard

Georges St-Pierre was not only Dane Sayers' coach on TUF 12, but it seems like they spent time together as friends as well. Dane's mother, Bonni Sayers, shared a heartwarming anecdote, per Inforum, of the time her son played chess with GSP and bested the Canadian legend at the game. As an acknowledgment of the victory, GSP gifted Sayers a chessboard.

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Dane Sayers was proud of his Native American heritage

Dane Sayers was of Native American descent and was proud of his heritage. His roots and the red mohawk hairstyle he used to sport inside the cage earned him the fight name 'Red Horse'.

The moniker was given to him by Chief Earl Old Person of the Blackfeet Nation. The name has a historical reference as well. Red Horse was a sub-chief of the people of Lakota, or a Miniconjou Sioux, who fought in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Inforum also reports that Dane Sayers' family is planning a memorial for him on June 25, but details are yet to be worked out.

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