An Arizona MMA fighter shot dead a man during an altercation over a parking spot. Shannon Ritch, known by the nickname The Cannon, claimed he shot Alejandro Samplina in self-defense during an altercation in a Phoenix parking lot. Ritch, 53, said Samplina, 32, was armed with a knife and chased him around his car before he fired his weapon on Saturday night.
"Ritch was able to retrieve his handgun from the open door of his vehicle," Phoenix Police Sgt. Mayra Reeson told Fox 10 on Sunday night. "Samplina proceeded to walk towards Ritch with the knife in a threatening manner. In response, Ritch fired one round, striking Samplina," Reeson added.
Killed in Self Defense
The victim was rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. Ritch remained at the scene and informed police that he shot Samplina in self-defense, which Reeson said was "consistent with witnesses and surveillance video," as reported by Fox 10.
Consequently, Ritch has been released from custody, and police will be submitting charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
However, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office will review the charges.
Ritch is an experienced MMA and bare-knuckle boxer who competed in the inaugural Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Recently, he traveled to Doha, Qatar, to compete against Darrill Schoonover.
"Just landed in Phoenix, Arizona, from a long, long trip to Doha, Qatar," Ritch said in an Instagram video posted on June 11. "I've been up for around 40 hours."
Star in His Own Right
Ritch, known as "The Cannon" in fighting circles, last competed professionally in 2019, as reported by ESPN. The 53-year-old, who boasts over 53,000 followers on Instagram, is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and works as a stunt actor.
During his MMA career, Ritch achieved multiple titles, including Middleweight Champion in the King of the Cage tournament and International Heavyweight Champion in bare-knuckle boxing with BKFC.
In addition to his career in martial arts, Shannon has also appeared as a stuntman in a large number of movies.
His upcoming project will feature him starring alongside Mel Gibson in the upcoming film 'Boneyard'.
