Since our dear friend and beloved MMA Junkie colleague Abbey Subhan died unexpectedly Dec. 29 at 45, I’ve been scrolling through his Instagram page frequently. I guess that’s one way to cope after losing someone you care about far too soon.
Abbey’s page (@kammakaze) looks like what you would expect from a proud family man with a creative mind and passion for MMA – a mix of photos and videos of good times with his wife and kids; of childhood memories with his mom; of working and enjoying on-site MMA event coverage with colleagues; of outstanding videos and visually stunning graphics he produced for MMA Junkie. Of his style, of his favorite food and music, and of a lot of other cool shit, including a selfie with Kobe Bryant that hits different now.
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Also sprinkled in are memes with words of inspiration, and one from March 14, 2023, really stands out to me, because of course Abbey would share it. It reads:
“Some of y’all don’t clap for others, and that’s why it will never be your turn.”
Abbey clapped for everyone. This might as well have been his motto.
You see, Abbey was one of the most positive people I’ve ever worked with. That was my experience with him through the years, and I know it was the same for many others.
Abbey and I hit it off almost instantly when I first joined MMA Junkie in February 2017. At the time, he was an independent contractor who also worked another “regular” job, and he produced UFC pre-fight facts videos for Mike Bohn’s weekly features that I loved so much for their creativity and attention to detail. His talent was obvious, and I often gave him props on those videos – and he appreciated the feedback. In the ensuing months, we bonded over chats mostly about music, movies, fatherhood and the golden era of pro wrestling (he was a huge Ultimate Warrior fan). He was easy to get along with.
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When I took over as managing editor of MMA Junkie in August 2018, it was under less than ideal circumstances. I felt isolated during the transition – but Abbey immediately expressed his belief in me and said he was ready to do his part to execute my vision. That meant the world to me.
From that point on, Abbey always had my back – and I had his. I was determined to bring him on full time, and while there were several hurdles to make that happen, it finally did in May 2022. Abbey was thrilled, and so was I. MMA Junkie had just leveled up, and we were so lucky to see that with the amazing video features he produced and top-notch graphics he created that have left an indelible mark on our site.
The best thing about Abbey, though, is that he didn’t have a bad bone in him. And perhaps his greatest quality was that he saw the good in everyone. And because he saw the good in everyone, if you were his friend or teammate, he had a special way of making you feel important. Hell, even if you weren’t his friend or teammate, Abbey was still on your side.
Helping an 18-year-old kid covering his first UFC event with an old camera? Going the extra mile to help a veteran figure out the settings on a new camera? Reading touching anecdotes like those since his death isn’t surprising. That’s just who Abbey was.
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Outside of my own family, I often felt like Abbey was one of my biggest cheerleaders, especially as we worked on “Overreaction Time” together for the past year, and I’ll never forget that. I just hope he knew the feeling was mutual.
Thank you, my friend, for clapping for me and everyone around you. You were a blessing to us all, and we truly appreciate you more than words could say – but I tried anyway.
Rest in paradise, brother.
To help the family with funeral costs and provide financial support as they navigate a future without Abbey, donations to his GoFundMe campaign are greatly appreciated.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: To Abbey: Thank you for clapping for me – and everyone around you
