Longtime mixed martial arts veteran Shannon
Ritch shot and killed a man in a parking lot dispute outside of
Phoenix restaurant, according to a report from Fox 10 Phoenix.
According to a police investigation, Ritch, 53, and Alejandro
Samplina, 32, were involved in a confrontation regarding an issue
over parking outside of a Twin Peaks on June 15. Ritch allegedly
shot and killed Samplina after he claimed that Samplina chased him
around his car with a knife.
“Ritch was able to retrieve his handgun from the open door of his
vehicle. Samplina proceeded to walk towards Ritch with the knife in
a threatening manner. In response, Ritch fired one round, striking
Samplina,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Mayra Reeson told Fox 10.
Samplina died at a local hospital, per the report. Police released
Ritch after he “provided a self-defense claim consistent with
witnesses and surveillance video.” The exact nature of the argument
remains unclear.
Ritch made his professional MMA debut in 1998 and has compiled a
58-88 record with four no contests over the course of a lengthy
career. During that tenure, “The Cannon” has competed for
organizations such as
Pride Fighting Championships, King of
the Cage, Pancrase
and M-1
Global, to name a few. The Arizona native has squared off
against the likes of Yves Edwards,
Jake
Shields, Kazushi
Sakuraba, Dan Severn and
Joe
Riggs, among others.
Ritch’s last pro MMA appearance came in January 2020, when he
suffered a 26-second submission loss to Glenn Sparv
at a Rebel FC event in Moscow.
