UFC bantamweight Ramon Taveras is fortunate to be alive.
Over the weekend, Taveras revealed he was very almost the sufferer of a drive-by capturing in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., whereas leaving his mom’s home this previous Monday. Taveras even launched video of the harrowing incident from the home’s safety digicam.
“It’s unlucky that I even need to make a submit like this, however I can’t let this be swept below the rug.
“Monday, July 29, 2024, at 10:05 pm, a bunch of armed males drove up on me at my mom’s home and tried to take my life. By the grace of God, I made it out with no accidents and was capable of seize my very own firearm and return hearth in self-defense. This metropolis is unforgiving, and it’s worse that JSO [Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office] does nothing to right the issue. I misplaced my brother in 2019 because of gun violence, and his killers are but to be caught. Now I discover myself nearly in the identical state of affairs.
“JSO did the naked minimal for my brother and is now doing the identical for me. They assumed I used to be focused because of “gang violence” or an issue I brought about. I don’t hassle anybody, I keep in my very own lane, I give attention to my profession and household. Even after explaining this, they continued to insinuate that I used to be concerned in one thing that introduced this final result upon myself.
“No one is ideal, and everybody has a previous. Nevertheless, I’ve modified considerably from who I used to be ten years in the past. For such an incident to happen out of nowhere is alarming. It makes me view my life and household by way of a completely totally different lens. It is a each day actuality in my metropolis; I’m not the primary, nor will I be the final. I’m bored with remaining silent about my brother’s case, and I refuse to let this incident slide both. Many different households in my metropolis have endured comparable conditions, crying out for justice simply as my household is.
“My household feels unsafe, and I worry for my kids, who almost misplaced their father the individual striving to vary their lives. It’s tragic that I’ve a lot love for my metropolis, but I’m compelled to depart. I’ll use this example to talk out in opposition to the ineffectiveness of JSO and their disregard for the much less lucky components of the town. They appear detached as to whether lives are misplaced or in danger. I’m sick of it! This might have been a memorial submit; I may have misplaced my life similar to my brother, or any person else may have misplaced theirs making an attempt to take mine. I’m finished being silent. I ask on your help in spreading this message so far as we will.
“I’m blessed and pleased to be alive, however I’m leaving Duval.”
The video reveals Taveras leaving the home and strolling to a automobile, when a automotive on the road close by opens hearth a number of occasions. Taveras takes cowl behind the automotive till the assailants drive off, at which level Taveras seems to face, draw a gun of his personal and return hearth.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace didn’t instantly reply when MMA Preventing reached out for remark.
Taveras joined the UFC in 2023 after two outings on the Contender Sequence. In his first go-round, Taveras missed weight for the competition after which misplaced to Serhiy Sidey through first-round TKO in a extremely controversial stoppage. After that, Taveras was given one other probability later within the season and scored a 29-second end over Cortavious Romious to earn his spot within the UFC. Taveras made his UFC debut in January in a rematch in opposition to Sidey, and once more he missed weight, although this time Taveras did win a cut up choice. He was scheduled to face Caolan Loughran at UFC 304 however an harm pressured him out of the cardboard.
