Derek Thompson and Matt Kelly, two of UFC’s behind-the-scenes team members, passed away last week, leaving the whole promotion grief-stricken.
Many key figures including Daniel Cormier and Megan Olivi, shared heartfelt tributes, honoring the memory of Thompson and Kelly. Known for their dedication to orchestrating things behind the scenes, they were more than just staff.
Having worked with the promotion for years, they had developed personal bonds in the company. To many, they were great friends who left their mark on fighters, presenters, and many others.
As the news of their demise reached online, UFC personalities like Tony Ferguson and Laura Sanko shared their grief and reminisced the memories they had made with Thomson and Kelly.
Olivi shared a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter), fondly remembering Derek, who was 40, and reflecting on all the events, laughs, and meals they had shared.
“It’s hard to find the words to describe the loss of these two. Derek was our gentile giant. We flew to + worked so many events together. We quoted old school lyrics, I tried to convince him to come to Pilates, and we shared some great meals in whatever city we were in,” penned Olivi while sharing UFC’s tribute post.
“It’s beyond devastating,” she added, talking about how the death of both was being felt company-wide.
Olivi remembers Kelly as a bright light.
“If you didn’t know he was sick you would have never guessed by the way he carried himself. He was so funny and even though his battle was so tough, the smile never left his face. He made it a joy to work together and I was always so grateful to see him.”
While the cause of either of their demise has not been made public, Kelly, who was 54, was battling colon cancer which affected his abdomen and lungs. He was also reportedly diagnosed with leukemia some time ago.
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The UFC also shared a touching post on Instagram commemorating Thompson’s life. Anthony Pettis, Chris Weidman, Jon Anik, Dominick Cruz, and Yoel Romero were among the many who reacted to the post to share their grief
Cormier, having known Thomson for a long time, took things more personally, and posted a video of him reflecting on their time together. He shared how much he valued Thomson’s friendship and recalled fond memories of their FIFA games, travels around the world, team dinners, and just simply hanging out.
“We’ll miss you forever.”
In a sport where fighters are the star attraction, the overwhelming response to Thompson and Kelly’s passing shows just how much they meant to everyone around them. It also sheds light on the often-overlooked aspect of empathy, love and so much more that goes into the UFC family than power-punching and hard-talking superstars.
