Despite several reports -- basically all of them incestuously citing each other -- UFC and Pride veteran Kimo Leopoldo is not dead.Following repeated communiques with one of his P.R. reps, Bob Trieger, the final message came in from Trieger to MMAWeekly.com simply stating, "Alive."
Yahoo! Sports boxing and MMA writer Kevin Iole also confirmed Kimo's non-death with the former fighter's attorney, Victor E. Hobbs, who simply said, "Kimo has surfaced and that's all that I know right now."
The false reports, which were picked up by the N.Y. Daily News, OC Register, and several smaller websites, and even had TMZ.com relaying that they had "confirmed" Leopoldo's death, appear to have stemmed from a "troll" post on popular MMA message board The Underground started by a poster under the screen name of Reggie Warren Sr.
MMA.tv, which operates The Underground forum, froze several threads about Kimo when questions started to arise about the validity of the reports.
Kimo, on Monday, was sentenced to 10 days of community service and required to take part in a drug diversion program in connection with charges stemming from a February arrest in which he was eventually charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and for possessing and wearing an old police jumpsuit.
