It’s difficult to say whether Justin Eilers would have become a star in mixed martial arts. But his shocking murder 10 years ago on Christmas night definitely robbed the sport of one its more athletic and colorful competitors.
Eilers was fatally shot at a family Christmas party in Nampa, Idaho, by his stepfather, James Malec, after an argument with his former girlfriend about time spent with their son. Malec, who had a long-running feud with Eilers, sided with the girlfriend, and apparently was the instigator of the argument.
An angry Eilers knocked dishes to the floor and yelled before turning to leave. That’s when Malec used his .45 caliber handgun to shoot Eilers in the chest.
The Iowa Statesman reported that at the trial, Eilers’ mother, Gwen Moore, said: I thought it was over. I turned to the side, then I felt the shot go past my ear. I turned toward Jim and said, ‘What did you do?’ Justin had a surprised look on his face. He said, ‘I’m dead, I’m dead. I love you, Mom.
Malec, a former police officer, was charged with second-degree murder, but that charge was later reduced to manslaughter and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released on parole on Aug. 20, 2013, after serving a little more than six and a half years.
Eilers’ introduction to MMA started when former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver reached out and convinced him to move to the Quad Cities and start training MMA with the famous Miletich Fighting Systems team. Eilers had just finished a successful football career at Iowa State University and was looking for something new after being told at some free agent camps that he was too small for the NFL.
Eilers started his career with a fight against legend Dan Severn and lost a decision. After winning nine of his next ten bouts, he got his UFC opportunity and defeated childhood friend Mike Kyle. He then lost to Paul Buentello before getting an offer to fight Andrei Arlovski on short notice for the UFC heavyweight championship.
Arlovski dominated the bout and fight was stopped at 4:10 of the Round 1; Eilers was left in bad shape. He had broken both hands, dislocated his knee, torn his ACL, and sprained his ankle. He also had a broken nose and a pretty bad black eye.
Struggling to get around on crutches, Eilers was given a first-class seat. He explained to other passengers that he was a fighter.
You should see the other guy, Eilers said. What does he look like? a man asked. Not a mark on him! Eilers replied.
A loss to Brandon Vera got Eilers released from the UFC, but as he continued to add to his MMA skills, he put together seven more wins before losing to Pedro Rizzo, another former UFC heavyweight champion.
Prior to his death, Eilers, always a small heavyweight, had a 19-7-1 record and had decided to drop to the light heavyweight division. Teammates were expecting him to do very well.
His death left a void in MMA, especially at Miletich Fighting Systems where he was known for his playful antics and crazy exploits.
He was getting better all the time. His hands were really coming along, Pulver said. I miss him, I think about him a lot.
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Author Monte Cox is the Godfather of MMA managers and a combat sports promoter without parallel. Cox has staged over 100 boxing events, including world title fights with the likes of James Toney and Hector Macho Camacho, and over 700 MMA shows. He managed the careers of UFC Hall of Famers Matt Hughes and Pat Miletich, as well as inaugural UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk, Jeremy Horn, Robbie Lawler, and countless others.
