Coach Andy Grahn said he’ll remember Pederson as a dedicated athlete and friend with big dreams.

AUSTIN, Texas — A mixed martial arts coach is remembering one of the victims killed in the mass shooting on West Sixth Street as a determined fighter with a contagious personality.

Jorge Pederson, 30, became the third person to die following the shooting Sunday at Buford’s Bar in downtown Austin. According to police, Pederson was among 18 people shot during the incident. He was later taken off life support on Monday and died at a local hospital.

Pederson had recently moved from Minnesota to Austin to start a new job and pursue his dream of becoming a professional mixed martial artist. He formerly owned a moving business where he would employ other athletes. 

Andy Grahn, one of Pederson’s former MMA coaches in Minnesota, said the fighter quickly made an impression among his peers.

“He showed up six days a week, one to two hours a day,” Grahn said. “Jorge was always winking and smiling, and always had jokes and [was] always coming up with a plan to make a viral video.”

Grahn said Pederson’s personality stood out just as much as his work ethic.

“Jorge brought the comedy and the fun to the hard training, and the guys loved that,” Grahn said. “They really miss him.”

Austin police said the shooting happened early Sunday morning at Buford’s Bar on West Sixth Street at around 2 a.m. 

Pederson fought for his life after the shooting, Grahn said, and believes fought for his life after being rushed to a local hospital.

“I’m sure he held on,” Grahn said. “I believe one of his friends made it down there to hold his hand when he passed.”

Grahn went on to say that he was one of the first Pederson confided in about making the big move to Austin. Grahn said his former student was seeking a new adventure, and compared Austin to feeling like Minneapolis.

10th Planet Austin publicly posted that Pederson was planning with their head MMA coach, Angel Cruz, his first professional fight in his home state this coming May. 

Grahn said Pederson planned to split his training between Austin and his hometown as he prepared for his professional debut.

“He was going to train down in Austin and come back like once a month to get ready,” Grahn said.

Now, that dream will never come true.

“It’s the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, and the first thing I think about when I wake up,” Grahn said. “I can’t understand it.”

In the days since the shooting, memorials honoring Pederson and the other victims have appeared outside Buford’s Bar on West Sixth Street — a tribute to a life his coach said was taken far too soon.

Pederson’s community at the martial arts school “The Academy MN” plans to host a celebration of his life on March 22.