Daily Staff

Former ISU football player and mixed martial arts fighter Justin Eilers was shot and killed on Christmas Day.

His death was ruled to be a homicide, which reportedly originated from a domestic disturbance in the southwestern Idaho town of Nampa, according to the Idaho Press-Tribune. James Robert Malec, 48, was arrested on suspicion second-degree murder in the case.

Eilers, 30, played linebacker for the Cyclones from 1998 to 2001, but his MMA career took off upon graduation. He was a Boise, Idaho resident but trained in Davenport.

Eilers fought for the UFC heavyweight title in 2005 and had competed for the EliteXC heavyweight championship this past July.