News Of Kimo's Death Greatly Exaggerated

UFC veteran Kim "Kimo" Leopoldo was reported to have died from complications from a heart attack at the age of 41.

That report was news to Leopoldo who learned of it when his manager called to tell him that, at least according to the media, he was supposed to be dead. He went online immediately and verified that news of his death had, in fact, been published.

TMZ was the first to confirm his demise. MMA and other media outlets followed up with similar reports.

It was the beginning of a surreal experience for this UFC fighter as he sat in shock reading the stories. The very much alive Leopoldo was surprised to see his death spelled out in detail.

Leopoldo is quoted as saying, "We're so conditioned to believe what's in the media that I had to look in the mirror a few times to make sure I was alive. It's strange reading in print your obituary and you're not dead yet."

Leopoldo, known to many as Kimo, debuted in the MMA at UFC 3 in 1994. He fought professionally for 12 years, retiring in 2006. With a fighting style that could only be summed up as "freestyle" Kim used a mixture of grappling and striking to subdue his opponents. Well known for his Christian beliefs, Kimo had several religious tattoos on his body.

When word of his so-called "death" was made public, the Orange County Sheriff's coroner's office was overrun with phone calls. Kimo made an appearance there that evening and held a press conference to put to rest any speculation surrounding his condition.

He'd spent the early part of that day attending a sentencing hearing where he received 10 days of community service and a referral to a drug diversion program in connection with his February arrest where he was found guilty of possessing marijuana.

This isn't the first time Kimo felt misrepresented by the media. Nor is it the first time a media outlet has misreported a problem. The reason it is such a problem is that people believe what they read in print or see on the news. When retractions come, the damage has already been done.

After the press conference, Kimo commended KTLA for expressing remorse and for being the only media outlet to publicly recant their statement.

The question this raises is an important one. In the age of information, who polices media outlets? Who holds those with the power of the pen and microphone accountable for their words. If there's any lesson to be learned, it's not to believe everything in the media.