A civil lawsuit recently filed might shed light on the cause of death for UFC 1 alum Taylor Wily.
Wily, also known to MMA fans as Teila Tuli, competed in the first televised UFC bout ever. It was his lone MMA appearance after a notable sumo career. He lost to Gerard Gordeau. He then went on to have a successful acting career, most known for his roles in “Hawaii Five-O”, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, and “Magnum P.I.”. On June 20, 2024, Tuli died at the age of 56.
His cause of death was not reported, but a lawsuit filed Sept. 26 in Clark County (Nev.) district court by his estate alleges Wily died as a result of injuries sustained from being dropped by medical transport company GMTCare, LLC, according to online records. The lawsuit was first reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal.
According to the lawsuit, Wily was wheelchair-bound when on Oct. 3, 2023, he was dropped due to a failure with a vehicle’s loading ramp, with his head striking the pavement. He died a little over eight months later.
Weili left behind a wife, 22-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son, who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Neither party has commented on the lawsuit publicly.
