A former MMA fighter has been arrested for allegedly retaliating by shooting and killing another man at a child's birthday party. 9 News was reported.
Lumumba Sayers Sr., 46, was taken into custody on August 10 on charges of first degree murder and uttering threats. Police suspect Sayers shot and killed 28-year-old Malcolm Watson at a pool party that day. Sayers Sr. is being held at the Adams County Detention Facility in Colorado.
Sayers Sr. had 10 MMA bouts between 2009 and 2014. ESPN. He has appeared in the UFC throughout his career Strikeforce and scored significant victories over opponents such as Justin Guthry and Canaan Grigsby. The win-loss ratio is 6-4.
According to court documents reviewed by the bureau, witnesses saw Sayers Sr. “walk up and shoot the victim in the head at close range.” The documents state a “possible motive.”
“Witnesses claimed that [shooter’s son] he was murdered about a year ago by a friend of the deceased […] and this killing was probably retaliation or revenge,” the document said.
Sayers' son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was shot and killed in Colorado on August 19, 2023. He left behind a two-month-old son.
The victim's sister said 9 News that the birthday party was for Watson's five-year-old son. He claims his brother had nothing to do with Sayers Jr's murder. “How can this be a revenge killing if my brother wasn't the one involved?” Watson's sister said.
In a tragic irony, Sayers Sr. devoted decades of his life to gun reform. In 2021, 9News profiled Heavy Hands at the Heavy Hearts gym, which created a “safe space” for juveniles and encouraged them to stay away from violence.
“I want them to understand that they are loved, and I want them to know that they are loved,” Sayers Sr. said at the time.
Sayers Sr. will appear in court on August 15. He is being held on $1 million bond.