UFC fighter Taylor Wily at the age of 56. Wily was known for his incredible strength, agility, and determination in the octagon, and his untimely death has left a void in the world of professional fighting.
Wily began his career in MMA at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks to become a formidable opponent in the UFC. His signature fighting style and never-give-up attitude endeared him to fans around the world, who admired his tenacity both inside and outside of the ring.
The news was confirmed by local Hawaiian news station KITV, as well as Instagram posts from “Hawaii Five-0” executive producer Peter M. Lenkov.
“I am devastated. Heartbroken. I’ll post some detailed feelings later. Just too hard right now,” he wrote, alongside of a picture with Wily, on June 20.
Lenkov followed it with another post of a photo montage and wrote, “T, as I told you many times, I fell in love with you at the first audition. You came in with a towel on your head mopping up sweat, and I was smitten. You charmed me into making you a regular… on the show… and in my life."
The Laie native was a sumo wrestler before he got into acting.
He was best known for his role as “Kamekona” on the re-boot of “Hawaii Five-0.”
He was also on “Magnum P.I” and in the movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Wily, born Teila Tuli, was of American Samoan descent. Before getting into acting, he was a successful sumo wrestler and mixed martial artist. He was given the sumo name Takamishū. He was undefeated in his first 14 fights, winning two consecutive yūshō or tournament championships. At 440 pounds, he was one of the largest wrestlers in sumo. He is survived by his wife, Halona, and two children.
Editor’s note: The story has been updated to include Wily’s film history and sumo history. 
favorite. He continued in the same role with the reboot of “Magnum P.I.” and made a memorable appearance as a hotel worker in the 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Before he began acting, Wily, born Teila Tuli, was a well-known sumo wrestler and UFC 1 fighter. He became the first knockout victim in UFC history in 1993 when opponent Gerard Gordeau’s kick knocked a tooth clear out of Wily’s mouth, ending the fight after just 26 seconds.
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