Eilers, 30, was at the home of relatives in Idaho when an argument broke out with his ex-girlfriend. Eilers was shot in the chest after refusing to leave, according to a report by Sherdog.com’s Loretta Hunt. A 48-year-old man believed to be the boyfriend of Eilers’ mother was arrested and charged with second degree murder. A longtime member of the Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, Eilers last competed for EliteXC in a bout broadcast on Showtime in July. He lost to Antonio Silva in a match that resulted in the promotion crowning its first heavyweight champion.
The death comes a week after news that fighter Justin Levens had allegedly shot himself and his wife dead in their California home and that WEC fighter Will Ribeiro went into a coma after a motorcycle accident in Brazil. Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner died earlier this year.