5 MMA fighters who died after fights

Anything with as strong a nature as mixed martial arts can instantly capture the attention of people. It also has that unique quality of being able to polarize people - you either love it or you don't.

There are many who would be quick to call it organized dogfighting. But some linger, see past the violence and are struck by the artistry of say, Demetrious Johnson suplexing Ray Borg into an armbar.

Those who stay hooked vary in the depth of their loyalty. Lots of them come for the quick fix of a violent knockout straight out of a Rocky movie or a choke that wouldn't look out of place in a documentary about anacondas.

A healthy number gather cult-like every weekend, tank up on chicken and beer and holler as their favorite fighters go to war. And there are others still, who despite a monk-like devotion to MMA, know that there is an ugly underbelly to the sport and no warrior leaves the battlefield unscathed. All of them are left scarred, some deeper than others, and in some tragic instances, unhealed wounds proved fatal.

Let's take a look at some MMA fighters who died from injuries that befell them in fights that were legally sanctioned:

#5 Sam Vasquez

Sam Vasquez was the first fighter in the USA to die following injuries sustained in a sanctioned MMA bout. On October 20th, 2007 in Houston, Texas, the 35-year-old was knocked out by Vince Libardi in the 3rd round of their fight at Renegades Extreme Fighting.

Vasquez collapsed following the fight and was hospitalized. He was diagnosed with a subdural haemorrhage due to a burst blood vessel and the overflow of blood that was exerting pressure on the brain.

A piece of his skull had to be removed to allow his brain to swell without compression and cerebral spinal fluid had to be drained regularly to accommodate further swelling. Vasquez slipped into a coma a couple of days before his death on November 30th, leaving behind his wife and then 7-year-old son.

#4 Michael Kirkham

There probably were many in the crowd that gathered in the University of South Carolina campus on June 26, 2010, who were struck by Michael Kirkham's appearance as he strode to the cage in his professional debut. With his 6' 9", 155-lbs frame, the Illinois native would have stood out anywhere, let alone in MMA.

His opponent, Carlos Iraburo, noted the advantages Kirkham's height and reach gave him, and took him down early. Iraburo rained down shots and the fight was stopped 41 seconds after it began. Kirkham fell unconscious after the bout and died two days later, the cause of death being stated as a "subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain".

In his last bout which Kirkham had lost by TKO, he had taken blows to the head and according to his father, his opponent had been warned twice or thrice about rabbit punches. Kirkham's 30-day medical suspension had ended two days before his bout with Iraburo. Dr. Joe Estwanik, an authority on combat sports medicine, who penned "Sports Medicine for the Combat Artists", speculated that it could have been "Second Impact Syndrome" that led to Kirkham's death.

According to him, if a person suffers head trauma anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after a similar impact, his or her brain swells enormously and could prove fatal. To safeguard against this, medical authorities are authorized to suspend fighters longer than the norm of 45 days after a KO.

Iraburo's coach Mark Greubel said after Kirkham's death that he planned to hold a fundraiser and set up a PayPal account to help support Kirkham's family.

#3 Tyrone Mims

How do you tell five young children that you don't how their father died? Whoever was tasked with telling Tyrone Mims' children must have wondered that.

On August 11th, 2012, Tyrone Mims was stopped by Blake Poore in an MMA event in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. After the stoppage, Mims was completely coherent, smiling and telling the cageside physician that he was fine despite the unanswered blows.

Back in the locker room, nothing seemed amiss initially, but Mims soon started rambling, breathing heavily and passed out.

Mims was rushed to University Medical Hospital, where he passed away an hour later. No head trauma or concussion were evinced in the autopsy and the toxicology report was clear of drugs or alcohol. Charleston County Coroner Rae Wooten stated the possibility that Mims had "an irregular heart because of some electrical dysfunction", something that is undetectable.

#2 Booto Guylain

MMA is huge in South Africa and the organization that's spearheaded the sport's rise is the Extreme Fighting Championship or EFC. In March 2014, the EFC's million-strong followers were shocked by the death of Booto Guylain.

The 29-year-old had suffered a third-round TKO loss to Keron Davies at EFC 27 on February 27, 2014. He was treated by the medical team at the venue before being hospitalized. Guylain was diagnosed with swelling and bleeding of the brain, a grotesquely familiar malaise amongst fighters. He died on March 5.

Guylain is survived by his wife and son. Insurance house ONEPLAN, EFC's disability partner, committed financial support to the family.

#1 Donshay White

In July 2017, Donshay White returned to the cage for just his second fight, after almost two years. There was no way anyone could have known it was to be his last.

The 37-year-old faced Ricky Muse at Hardrock MMA 90 at Expo Five Event Center in Louisville, Kentucky. After being stopped by strikes in the second round, White made his way to the locker room, where he collapsed.

White was rushed to the hospital, where he passed away. White was reported to have high blood pressure, but had cleared two medical tests before the fight. After the autopsy, his death was found to be due to "hypertensive/atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease", and was ruled a natural cause.