Family of MMA fighter Jordan Parsons mourns him at gym
BOCARATON— Anna Morsaw said the hardest part was having to leave the hospital without her son.
After Jordan Parsons was hit by a silver Range Rover in a hit-and-run crash early Sunday, Morsaw flew in from Atlanta to spend four days at her son’s bedside at Delray Medical Center.
But despite everything doctors did to try to save Parsons’ life, the mixed martial arts fighter died Wednesday as a result of his injuries. Hewas 25.
“It was just really hard to be in the room and know he’s going to make it, he’s going to make it, and then other things are happening and things are shutting down and there’s nothing we can do,” Morsaw said.
Parsons was heading west in the crosswalk across Federal Highway near Lindell Boulevard in Delray Beach at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday when the driver of the Range Rover hit him.
The driver took off and hasn’t been seen since.
Parsons was brought to the hospital, where he underwent several surgeries and had part of a leg amputated. In a room filled
with machines, seemed towork.
“They’re like, we’re really sorry,” Morsaw said. “We have to leave but we’re not taking him with us. He’s still there and that’s really hard,” Morsawsaid.
On Thursday, she stopped by Jaco Hybrid Training Center, the Boca Raton gym wherehersonspent somuch of his time training formixed martial arts. Standing in the parking lot with family, Morsawhad to build up the courage towalk inside.
“It took so long just to walk in there because that’s his home,” Morsaw said as she began crying. “It’s really hard.”
Still, she’s confident the driverwhohithersonwillbe found.
“The police are out there, they’re searching and all these people are handing out fliers. They’re going to get him and there’s going to be justice,” Morsaw said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Her other son, Skyler Parsons, 24, was by his mother’s side as she walked into the gym. He said his older broth- nothing
er was an amazing man and his hero.
“He was the main male figuremostofmylife. Hewas the one who kept me in check,” Skyler Parsons said. “My brother is the most amazing person I’ve ever known.”
Despite the fights that brothers sometimes get into, the twowere always close.
When Jordan Parsons moved to Minneapolis, Skyler did too, just to be close to his brother and go to school.
He was planning to move to South Florida in two weeks, he said.
“I just can’t be too far from my brother. Now, I’m just so far away, but I know it’s not goodbye. It’s just until I see you again.”
Parsons teammate with the Blackzilians mixed martial arts team, Denzel Freeman, said practice was canceled at the gym Thursday and that some guys worked out while others stayed home.
“We respected everyone that decided not to come. We’ll see everyone when they get back, however long it takes for them to recover because everybody’s different,” he said.
He said his teammate Matt Van Buren was among those who were closest to Jordan.
“He’s taking it the hardest,” Freeman said. “He was still here, but you could tell when his mind is off of training.”
Another fighter, Viktor Pesta, first met Parsons in San Diego when they were both training with another team.
Pesta said it’s been hard since his teammate died. He and the rest of the team visited Parsons at the hospital Tuesday and said Parsons wasn’t looking good.
When he visited, he the moodwasn’t good.
“Everybodywas like, what the hell is going on?” Pesta said. said
With parts of the Range Rover found at the crash scene, he said he’s hopeful police will catch the driver.
Skyler Parsons is pleading that the Range Rover driver turns themselves in. He said his brother would not want the situation to be handled by anybody outside of law enforcement.
“It’s hard for me to say that, but my brother would have wanted it that way,” Skyler Parsons said. “I don’t live here so I can’t continuously look for them, but I want the community to band together and turn this man orwoman in.”
Police ask anyone with informationonthe crash or the silver 2013 Range Rover Sport to call Officer Dan Cramer at 561-243-7800 or Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County at 800-458-8477, online at www.crimestopperspbc.com or by texting tips@cspbc.com.
Police are also urging the driver to call Officer Ron Brown at 561-243-7800.
Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
They’re going to get him and there’s going to be justice. That’s what I’m looking forward to.” mother of Jordan Parsons
asacasa@tribpub.com or 561-243-6607