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Mixed Martial Arts is fast becoming one of the top sports in the country. While before it was not acknowledged, and MMA Fighters were not respected, nowadays it has become comparable to a Boxing Match.
With the rise of UFC and the ever-increasing popularity of MMA, more and more people tune in to see shows. At one point in time, however, Mixed Martial Arts was considered to be Human Cockfighting, and nothing more. More rules were added, and they added a process making the proceedings a lot more systematic, and now Mixed Martial Arts has the same prestige as any other combat sports and is regulated in all states by combat sports commissions.
When it comes to Mixed Martial Arts, however, there remains a tangible threat to anyone with regards to their health, as with any other combat sports. At the end of the day, it is after all two people trying to hit the other one so hard as to knock them out. There have been several cases where the fight proved to be fatal for one of the fighters.
In this article, let us take a look at five different occasions where a fighter passed away in the octagon. The list will be excluding any unsanctioned MMA fights and will deal only with sanctioned events.
#5 Booto Guylain:
Booto Guylain was a Congolese fighter, with one other fight under his belt when he took part in the event at Johannesburg, South Africa. At EFC AFRICA 27, Guylain took part in a fight against Keron Davies on the 27th of February, 2014.
Guylain's last fight had resulted in a loss, and he was looking to pick up some momentum and help his Mixed Martial Arts career with a win here. Unfortunately for him, it proved to be his last fight of all time.
He suffered a brutal head injury during the third round of the fight. He was stabilised on spot and taken to the hospital for further treatment. Although the situation looked hopeful, to begin with, there was nothing that could be done to save him. He passed away on the 5th of March, at the age of 29, due to swelling of the brain.
#4 Donshay White:
The case of Donshay White's passing in 2017, is the most recent passing of a fighter taking part in a sanctioned fight. Not only was the fight sanctioned, White had even passed a physical the day of the fight.
Unfortunately for the amateur fighter, it was later revealed that he should not have been fighting in the first place. White had high blood pressure and had not been taking medicine for it. How he passed the physical, is a question that has since gone unanswered.
The sanctioned fight took place in Kentucky, where he lost by TKO. Although he was able to go backstage, he passed away there. The cause of his death proved to be Hypertensive heart disease, stemming from his blood pressure.
#3 Michael Kirkham:
When 30-year-old Michael Kirkham was announced to take part in a fight at the Dash Entertainment/King MMA 'Confrontation at the Convocation Centre', no one had expected that it would go the way that it did.
His opponent, Carlos Iraburo, took him down to the matt within seconds of his debut as a professional. He was hit on the back of the head several times by Iraburo before the referee stopped the fight only 41 seconds in. Unfortunately, Kirkham had lost consciousness and did not recover from the blows.
He would die two days after the fight, due to subarachnoid haemorrhage of the brain. There was speculation that Kirkham's last bout had also ended in TKO, and there had been issues lingering from that fight itself.
#2 Tyrone Mims:
The 30-year-old fighter, Tyrone Mims, was competing in an amateur MMA show on the 11th of August of 2012.
Tyrone Mims appeared almost drained during the second round of the bout, hardly being able to stand. The referee did the smart thing in stopping the bout stating that he was unable to continue, but the decision came too late. Although he told the physician and referee that he was fine and only 'tired' Mims lost consciousness after being helped to the back.
After efforts to revive him proved fruitless, Mims ended up being taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was pronounced dead. The autopsy found nothing, and reports found no alcohol or drugs in the system of the deceased fighter.
The doctors speculated that he had an irregular heart disfunction, which could not be spotted after passing, as nothing else explained his death.
#1 Sam Vasquez:
Sam Vasquez is the first fighter to have passed away competing in a sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts fight. On the 20th of October, 2007, he lost the fight in the third round, by way of knockout.
He lost consciousness soon after the Renegades Extreme Fighting again and was rushed to St. Joseph Medical Center. The doctors found that he had suffered a subdural haemorrhage and a part of his skull had to be removed so as to allow the brain to swell without it being compressed or pressurised in any way.
His cerebral spinal fluid also had to be drained to make more room for the swelling. Unfortunately, he slipped into a coma for 48 hours, before passing away on the 30th of November, at the age of 35.
