UFC fighter’s cat fatally injured in Las Vegas robbery
Las Vegan Jessica-Rose Clark is in St. Louis for the biggest opportunity of her young professional career as she will fight star Paige VanZant on the main card of UFC Fight Night 124 on Sunday.
Her house will look a lot different when she returns from the business trip.
Clark’s home near Wigwam Avenue and the 215 Beltway was robbed on Thursday with three suspects making off with an estimated $30,000 worth of electronics and clothes belonging to Clark and her housemates, according to the 30-year-old fighter.
The real damage was far more sentimental.
“They also kicked our cat and smashed his rib cage and it has pushed his intestines up into his chest cavity,” Clark wrote on Twitter.
She later confirmed the cat, a 1-year-old named Dwight, had to be euthanized.
VEGAS. MY HOUSE JUST GOT BROKEN INTO
They kicked our cat and he has to be put down.
Tvs, guitars, dvds, POP, video games.
At least 3 people, one small female with her hair in a bun, reddish-blonde and two men. One white sedan and possibly a gray truck with them.
— Jessy Jess (@missjessyjess) January 11, 2018
Clark attempted to put the incident behind her during her appearance at Friday’s media day for the event.
“I’m alright,” she said. “I’m missing a lot of shoes and obviously I’m missing a cat, which sucks, but I’m alright.
“They’re dealing with it back in Vegas.”
A neighbor was able to provide a description of the suspects.
As her housemates work with police to investigate the incident, Clark is trying to remain focused on her second fight in the UFC.
The flyweight prospect made her debut in the organization with a split-decision win over fellow Australia native Bec Rawlings in December.
That set up a bout against VanZant, a fighter who may be just as famous for her stint on “Dancing With The Stars,” who makes her 125-pound debut on Sunday night.
Clark said she didn’t give any consideration to pulling out of the fight despite the distractions back home.
“I’m here for a reason,” she said. “Look, I’ve got to make that money to replace all my shoes, so nothing’s changing.”
Clark hopes the perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Stuff doesn’t matter,” she wrote on social media in a post thanking the hundreds of users who helped spread the news. “I just want to see them punished for what they did to poor Dwight.”
Clark’s bout against VanZant is part of a main card scheduled to air on Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m.
A featherweight bout between Jeremy Stephens and Doo Ho Choi headlines the event.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
