South east Londoner Chris Eubank has paid tribute to his son Sebastian after his death just days before his 30th birthday.
The 54-year-old admitted his family were “devastated” by his son’s death, and the world of boxing has rallied around the Eubank family to pay tribute.
Sebastian, the third-oldest of boxing legend Chris Eubank Sr's five children, tragically died in Dubai a week shy of his 30th birthday.
The 29-year-old, who made his MMA debut last year, was found dead on a beach in the UAE - where he live with his wife, Salma and one month-old son Raheem - on Friday.
Eubank said his son was “a leader in the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and of alternative therapies”.
The statement added: “As well as being a personal trainer and professional boxer, Sebastian was also a deep thinker who liked to challenge accepted wisdom.
“He was loved and respected by all who knew him and will be forever in the thoughts of friends and family. As a family we now kindly ask to be given space and privacy to celebrate his life and remember the son, the brother, the husband, the friend.”
Chris Eubank Jr also paid a heartbreaking tribute to brother.
The middleweight fighter has posted a series of photographs of himself and his brother on social media, labelling him a “special man” and vowing to “treat your newborn son like my own.”
The 31-year-old wrote: “My brother Sebastian Eubank was a special man… a righteous man… who always put others before himself,” wrote Eubank.
“A man of many talents, boxing, MMA, poetry, music, coaching, cooking the list goes on but the most important thing to him was helping others less fortunate than himself.
“I haven’t cried since I was 12 years old… yesterday I cried the whole day. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to watch your back like a big brother’s supposed to.
"Can’t believe you’re really gone man but you’ll always be in my heart, mind & spirit.
“Now your legacy will live on through your beautiful new born son & I will treat him like my own. Watch over us until we meet again young lion.
“And to everyone out there reading this right now DON’T take ANY of your loved ones for granted.
“See them, speak to them, check up on them as much as you possibly can because you just never know if that one time will be the last time. Love you bro.”
Sebastian followed both his father and brother into the sport of boxing, performing well at amateur level before stepping up to the pro ranks.
As a professional he won two bouts and made it onto the undercard for Eubank Jnr's showdown with James De Gale in 2019, only to be denied his moment when his fight was cancelled due to the event overrunning.
He later moved to the UAE and switched to MMA, making his competitive debut in January last year, but his career has now been cut short in the most tragic of circumstances.
Chris Eubank was born in Dulwich and grew up in Peckham, attending Bellenden Junior School and Thomas Calton Secondary School.
He also spent some time at Orchard Lodge Regional Resource Centre in Anerley before being sent to New York aged 16, where he began to focus on boxing.
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