Jorge Munoz-Pederson, 30, practices his punches in an undated photo. Munoz-Pederson was the third victim killed in Sunday’s mass shooting at Buford’s bar in Austin, TX.
Courtesy of Andy Grahn
Jorge Munoz-Pederson had moved to Austin two weeks ago, chasing a new job and awaiting his professional mixed martial arts debut.
Those dreams ended suddenly when he was struck in a mass shooting Sunday morning at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in downtown Austin. He became the third victim killed in the attack.
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The 30-year-old from Minnesota, who had begun training at a local gym and working for a software company, died Monday afternoon at an Austin hospital after his family decided to take him off life support. He was one of 14 people taken to area hospitals after the shooting. Two college students died at the scene, and police fatally shot the gunman, authorities said.
Jorge Munoz-Pederson, 30, performs a grappling submission during a practice. Munoz-Pederson was the third victim killed in Sunday’s mass shooting at Buford’s bar in Austin, TX.
Courtesy of Andy Grahn
Friends from the amateur mixed martial arts community, including those at the gym where Munoz-Pederson had spent six evenings a week for the last six years, knew him as a lovable and helpful teammate, as well as a vigorous fighter few wanted to face across the ring. His mother, Nancy Pederson, described him as a motivated and loyal son.
“He was so original and he lived his life following his dreams,” Pederson told the American-Statesman, between tears. “He was a good kid.”
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Raised in the rural lakeshore town of Glenwood, Minn., Munoz-Pederson graduated with a marketing degree from North Dakota State University before moving to the Minneapolis area. There, he started a moving company with his childhood friend and ingrained himself in the local mixed martial arts scene.
Pederson said her son’s free time was almost exclusively given to the “lifestyle” of mixed martial arts: healthy eating, time at the gym and socializing with his fellow fighters. He had begun martial arts competitions as a teen.
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His Minnesota coach, Rashel Malik, described Munoz-Pederson as one of his best fighters — a hungry student who was equally talented and hardworking. “He was a stud in this game,” Malik said.
Coach Andy Grahn, fighter Jorge Munoz-Pederson Munoz-Pederson, 30, was the third victim killed in Sunday’s mass shooting at Buford’s bar in Austin, TX.
Courtesy of Andy Grahn
Committed to his craft, Munoz-Pederson had traveled as far as Thailand to train in Muay Thai and to New Zealand to find additional bouts.
But above all, friends remember his kindness and how he lit up the room with jokes and laughter.
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“Honestly, he’s one of the funniest people at the gym,” said Matthew Scribner, who trained with Munoz-Pederson in Minnesota for five years. “He always had something fantastic to say, super nice. He would talk to everybody.”
In a difficult and intense ssport, Munoz-Pederson’s joy and sincerity felt “almost necessary” to fighters, said another one of his coaches, Andy Grahn.
Jorge Munoz-Pederson, 30, was the third victim killed in Sunday’s mass shooting at Buford’s bar in Austin, TX.
Courtesy of Andy Grahn
He was “like cement, like glue” to the gym. When people came, they knew Munoz-Pederson would be there, Grahn said. At the gym, Munoz-Pederson recruited MMA fighters to work for his moving company and star in his social media videos that he hoped would go viral.
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He acted out bits with his friends on wrestling mats, filmed himself dancing and shared technique tutorials to dramatic music. The social media content showcased his wry sense of humor alongside his wrestling prowess that ingratiated him to his friends. It also built him a small following that allowed him to promote his and his gym mates’ bouts — a practical skill in a sport that requires athletes to promote themselves.
In mid-February, Munoz-Pederson moved to Austin to work in sales for a software company. He sold his share of his moving business and made the difficult decision to live far away from his mother and his longtime girlfriend of five years.
Having lived most of his life in Minnesota, he wanted a new challenge, his mother said. During his short time in Austin, he remained in constant contact with her and his family, she added, calling his grandmother for her 90th birthday the day before he was shot and texting his mother, who had recommended he go look for Austin’s bat colonies when the season arrived.
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Jorge Munoz-Pederson, 30, died on Monday evening from gunshot wounds from Sunday morning’s mass shooting in downtown Austin. Munoz-Pederson had moved to Austin from Minnesota last month.
Courtesy of Nancy Pederson
At the time of his death, Munoz-Pederson was planning for his professional MMA debut in May, selling tickets and training constantly. “It’s unfortunate. He was a great amateur fighter,” Malik said.
“We lost a really good soul, who was just a really good person,” he added. “With all the nonsense going on, you need good people in your life. And he was one of the best persons that we could possibly have.”