A man from Akron has pled guilty to attempted murder, among other charges, in the killing of a professional mixed martial arts fighter.
Christopher Blouir, 30, of Reed Avenue in Akron, pleaded guilty on Friday to fatally shooting Isaiah Chapman, according to Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh.
Blouir, who has been held in the Summit County Jail since April 2020, will be convicted on June 25 by Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Alison McCarty.
Blouir was charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of murder, both of which are unclassified felonies, as well as felonious assault and concealing a knife.
According to the prosecutor’s office, he pleaded guilty to all but one of the murder charges.
On April 7, 2020, Chapman was discovered near his home with bullet wounds in the driveway. He was admitted to Summa Akron City Hospital, where he died later.
Chapman is survived by two daughters and a son. He was a former wrestler and football player at Kenmore High School. According to his family members, he was attentive to his daughters and would greet anyone with a hug as they arrived and left family gatherings.
Chapman had just signed a contract with Bellator MMA, one of the country’s leading mixed martial arts promoters, shortly before his death. He intended to pursue the sport full-time.
Read more: “Illegal use of credit card”: Bellator debut winner Anthony Johnson charged with identity theft