Jorge Pederson Had MMA Dreams. He Died Tragically.

Jorge Pederson was a fighter.

It’s why he moved to Austin, Texas in February to chase his dream of becoming an MMA professional. 

It’s the reason he joined 10th Planet, the trusted South Austin mixed martial arts gym which trained hundreds of jiu jitsu and Muay Thai and MMA athletes just like him. 

Pederson, standing 6 feet and 4 inches, was on the verge of realizing that dream when he died at an Austin hospital on March 1, his life cut short from a mass shooting that took the innocent lives of two others at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden on West 6th street this past Sunday. He was 30.

Pederson was one of 14 people, according to the Austin American-Statesman, that were treated at area hospitals from the shooting.

His spirit, of course, lives on, in all its technicolor. 

A native of Glenwood, Minnesota, most of his closest friends knew him best as a jokester. In January, after 16 years wrestling and fighting, he reveled on social media that he finally secured “broccoli ear.” 

To become a fighter means tireless hours and years in the gym. Pederson will be immediately remembered for all that grit and desire, the characteristics which described him well beyond the mat. 

He moved more than 1,100 miles to live down his dream. Sometimes, you do what’s necessary to achieve those ambitions. 

A graduate of North Dakota State University, he once co-owned a moving company. In Austin, he worked in software sales. 

10th Planet wrote on Wednesday that its MMA coach, Angel Cruz, was mapping the final details of Pederson’s first professional fight on May 16. He was so close. 

10th Planet added that “Jorge was completely devoid of ego and showed every sign of being an exceptional teammate,” and that he made “our room a lot better,” said Walker Nunez. 

Pederson’s former gym in Minneapolis, The Academy — which he joined in 2020 — said he was the “consummate worker” and brought light “and joy into grueling work of training.”

His Instagram handle was “trap_jorge,” which affectionately referenced a technique on the map.

Pederson was 5-1 as an amateur. He traveled across the world, from Thailand to New Zealand. In October, he fought in Las Vegas.

Pederson, the friend and son, was beloved. More than $28,000 has been raised for his funeral on Spotfund since his death. 

What To Know

To donate to Pederson’s fund, visit this Spotfund page.