A seasoned martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt lost his life on April 10th during a routine training session at Villegas MMA, a gym located in the El Dorado Residencial neighborhood of Tijuana, Mexico. The man has been identified as Francisco Martinez Hernandez, 59 years old and originally from the state of Tabasco.
According to reports, the incident took place at approximately 6:51 PM when Martinez Hernandez was sparring with a fellow student, identified as Joshua Isaac Suarez Briseño, 27. During the roll, Suarez Briseño applied a an arm triangle. Martinez Hernandez lost consciousness shortly after and within moments the situation turned critical.
Gym owner Mike Villegas, who was present at the time, described the sequence of events in a video interview.
“It was in the wrestling, the other partner takes him down, catches him in a katagatame, an arm choke. It was quick, he put him to sleep,”
Villegas said.
“My student tells me, man, he fell asleep. I get there fast, raise the feet, check that he didn’t have his mouthguard to choke on.”
Villegas said that Martinez Hernandez briefly showed signs of regaining consciousness before his condition deteriorated rapidly.
“He started having a kind of respiratory arrest, his breathing started dropping, his pulse too,”
Villegas said.
“At that moment, I’m talking in the matter of, I don’t think even a minute, I called an ambulance and I started doing mouth-to-mouth CPR.”
Villegas continued performing CPR for roughly ten minutes until paramedics from the Mexican Red Cross arrived. Despite their efforts, Martinez Hernandez could not be revived and was pronounced without signs of life at the scene. Investigators believe the underlying cause was cardiac arrest triggered in the aftermath of the submission.
“It seems there was something more after the choke, which I say was the cardiac arrest,”
Villegas said.
“He was turning 60 in August. He was a strong person.”
Villegas described Martinez Hernandez as a lifelong martial artist with significant experience.
“A person who even shared bouts against Edwin Aguilar. He was a person who loved to train hard. He was a warrior.”
Following the incident, police officers conducting a patrol nearby were flagged down by an individual requesting help outside the gym. Upon entering, they found Martinez Hernandez unconscious while paramedics worked to revive him. Suarez Briseño was taken into custody as part of standard legal procedure while authorities launched an investigation into the circumstances. He was later released. Villegas emphasized that both families handled the situation with composure and understanding.
“There were no problems about blame. It was an accident,”
he said.
“They understood it was an accident. Unfortunately, the other student had to be taken into custody because that is what the law dictates.”
Villegas added that he attended Martinez Hernandez’s wake and remained in contact with both families.
“Frank’s family is a great family who knows the risks of the sport,”
he said. The gym released an official statement acknowledging the incident while reaffirming its commitment to safety.
“Villegas MMA is an academy committed to the safety, respect, and well-being of all its members. Our training sessions are conducted under supervision and with established protocols; however, as in any contact discipline, there are inherent risks that, in extraordinary circumstances, can lead to situations beyond our control,”
the statement read. Villegas also shared a message directed at coaches and instructors.
“Get certified, take courses, learn first aid, have a first aid kit,”
he said.
“I can’t imagine how I would feel right now having been in that situation and having stayed on the sidelines. Not having at least tried to keep him going, reanimating him with CPR.”
The gym remained temporarily closed following the incident as part of the investigation process, though Villegas confirmed it was not formally shut down by authorities and that the academy is in the process of reopening. Martinez Hernandez is remembered by those who trained alongside him as a dedicated practitioner who remained committed to the sport until his final moments on the mat.
