Dark Side of Fighting : Amateur Fighter gets severe brain damage

[b00tysweat]

I live in BC so this hits home a little bit. I sparred a bunch in boxing but had no amateur or pro competition experience, my buddy however had a friend who was an amateur boxer, and he watched his friend die from a punch, a hook I believe that just landed a certain way. Fighting is serious business and the consequences can be dire, that’s part of why we’re so attracted and compelled by it imo.

yeah I was training MMA in Europe and was thinking of taking a fight, went to an ammy event and saw a guy get kneed in the ribs like 10 times in a row all turtled up. Ref wouldn't
stop it, fighter delivering damage is going full throttle, dude is turtled up eating bombs to the ribs.

No thanks man I'll enjoy it as a spectator and train for fun.

 

[HavokHarmon]

Yeah the 70% contact rule is just plain stupid, it relies completely on both fighters being able to contain themselves in a fight where they both want to win.

This story really sucks, but perhaps this kid had underlying issues...the amateur medical approval is a joke at best. Its basically a brief physical done be a general practitioner to get the OK to fight. But hey everyone knows the risks when they sign up, no different than signing the dotted line before you train at any gym or martial arts studio.

I hope he recovers.

No idea how it is now but years ago when I did a couple amateur fights it was pretty damn sketchy. Had you sign a medical waiver, no physical required. Had a bathroom scale sitting there so I figured I’d have to at least stand on it. Got to a part of the paper that asked for weight so I asked the guy when they were gonna weigh us and pointed to the bathroom scale they had next to the set of desks where guys were signing up. Told me it was broken and just to write down what I thought I weighed and they’d try to match me up with someone close. Still not sure why it was even there if it didn’t work lol

 

[piropiro]

Amateur competitions (I did plenty in my youth) are often quite sketchy … just a doctor certificate no in depth exams, ambiguous “light sparring” rules, unprofessional referees, multiple bouts in a day, approximate weight classes, etc.

However, usually the fights are short, you have to wear serious pillows on the fists and shins as well as obviously head gear, the refereeing leans towards stopping a bout too quickly rather than not quickly enough, and the poor skills usually translate to weak sloppy hits and limited damage.

So what happened it’s really a super rare and terribly unfortunate event.

Having said that, after badly dropping a couple of opponents in tournaments and worrying about their wellbeing, as well as experiencing getting KOd stiff myself (not in competition … sucker punched from behind by a friend of a guy I was asking to stop bothering my girlfriend … scariest experience of my life), I decided to end my fighting “career” as it was obviously not risk-free as an amateur and would have gotten worse as a pro.

When I hear stories like this it reminds me of what a smart decision it was (at the time I was rather unsure as I had an excellent amateur record at a very young age and various management offers to turn pro).

Best decision I ever made.

Terrible news about this kid, let’s help his family take him home at least!

 

[CasualBot]

Well based on the video shared by @EndlessCritic , it looks like each bout was like 2 minutes long? Plus they're wearing headgear.

Nothing about the video would make you think one of these guys is about to suffer irreversible brain damage.

Shit. Agreed.

Still unclear why this thread is in UFC discussion

 

[MigitAs]

yeah I was training MMA in Europe and was thinking of taking a fight, went to an ammy event and saw a guy get kneed in the ribs like 10 times in a row all turtled up. Ref wouldn't
stop it, fighter delivering damage is going full throttle, dude is turtled up eating bombs to the ribs.

No thanks man I'll enjoy it as a spectator and train for fun.

I would fully tap to strikes IDGAF what anyone thinks lol

 

[Poirierfan]

Found a really nice article but also sad from Bloody Elbow.








Pretty sad how a university student get severe brain injury like this from an amateur competition. More over he's also a foreigner which makes the situation even more complicated.

Cant imagine the heartbreak his mom feels.


Full article : https://bloodyelbow.com/2024/01/25/amateur-kickboxing-canada-fundraiser/

100k to fly him home? That's should be considered criminal.

 

[Royce's Gi]

We need to measure which is more dangerous. Eating Francis uppercuts or getting checkmate by Magnus Carlsen.

Getting checkmate by Magnus Carlsen = Irreparable Emotional Damage

 

[piropiro]

100k to fly him home? That's should be considered criminal.

Medical evaq flights are private jets with special medical facilities and a full medical team on board … intercontinental … it’s actually a fair cost, unfortunately.

 

[StonedLemur]

I used to like to play chess, back when I could think without my brain going totally off the rails.

Now it's like I'm thinking 3 moves ahead, oh hell wife needed this and work wants that and school the other, SQUIRRELL, and the weed comes out to quiet things

I just take that energy and paint, carve, write or play music.
The bud just flares all that up sir lol.

 

[Clark Rogers]

I just take that energy and paint, carve, write or play music.
The bud just flares all that up sir lol.

Those things always sounds heavenly, dead honest... then I try them, suck, impatience hits, and I'm irate before I know it...

I have some talents but artistic creativity was not included, across the board. I wish, hell I been trying to learn guitar for 35+ years, and my dad is a damn near virtuoso, lol.

 

[StonedLemur]

Those things always sounds heavenly, dead honest... then I try them, suck, impatience hits, and I'm irate before I know it...

I have some talents but artistic creativity was not included, across the board. I wish, hell I been trying to learn guitar for 35+ years, and my dad is a damn near virtuoso, lol.

Creativity wears many hats, and maybe you're wasting your creativity with something that doesn't meld with you sir.

 

[JohnMandick]

That's really sad. Donated a little. More to show that people care than the $ value.

 

[50koruny]

Very sad to hear news like this. I hope he fully recovers someday.

He suffered an ‘irreversible’ brain injury.
Unfortunately, i dont think that he can fully recover from this.

 

[spinitch]

flirting with disaster, curious business model. The amateur level often most dangerous due to less skill and supervision. Rugby has strict rules on head shots for good reason. To many youths injured. This is sort of doable in Rugby but not so in MMA . CTE is a festering issue for MMA . Tough luck. Youngster’s should stick to grappling until they r old enough to make a life threatening decision. Even grappling can get slammed and or twisted hurt spine.

 

[gentel]

Wonder if it was a shot to the back of the head that caused it - that sort of hematoma, paralysis, coma sort of thing seems on brand for back of the head strikes

This is why I train BJJ rather than striking

 

[HeffDoesWant]

I would fully tap to strikes IDGAF what anyone thinks lol

When I did amateur mma i wouldn't have fought if i wasn't prepared to tap to strikes.

 

[HeffDoesWant]

What the hell was he thinking? A PhD student, but he decided to throw it all away by fighting on the side as a hobby. He fought three times that night too.

I fought mma while doing my masters.

I presume we both did it for fun, not a potential career.

You don't need much education to realise fight sports are a pretty shitty way to make money if you have options/opportunities.

 

[HeffDoesWant]

Thats crazy, he must have had some sort of pre-existing head injury he didn't know about or something.

I'm busy looking at the unprotected metal goal posts under a metre from the fight surface.

The other guys head falls about a foot away from one of the poles at one point.

Safety was not a high priority that day, not saying that's to blame but those poles being so close and unprotected is serious bush league shit.