Jorge Pederson, a 30-year-old rising MMA fighter from Glenwood, Minnesota who was weeks away from his professional debut, was killed in a mass shooting at an Austin, Texas bar early Sunday morning. He was one of three victims.
According to CBS News, Pederson had relocated to Texas just two weeks prior. A graduate of North Dakota State University, he co-owned a moving company called Metro Movers and frequently recruited fellow fighters to work alongside him.
He joined Academy Martial Arts Gym in 2020 and quickly distinguished himself as a dedicated and fearless competitor. His family said he was "passionate about Muay Thai and MMA" and had been scheduled to turn pro in May 2026.
"Competing, learning from those competitions, taking on whatever person was in front of him. He didn't pick and choose," said Greg Nelson, owner of the Academy.
Friends and training partners remembered Pederson for his humor, generosity, and work ethic. "He had a super dry sense of humor, and he was always trying to make people laugh," said Andy Grahn, who first met Pederson at a grappling tournament when Pederson was 15.
"Jorge accomplished in a short amount of time what a lot of people don't get to do. He always chased his dreams and never let anything stop it," said Joshua Fleck, an employee at Pederson's moving company.
An online fundraiser has been established to help Pederson's family cover funeral expenses, with close to $20,000 raised as of this writing.