The Russian combat sports website ToFight.ru is reporting that an Amateur MMA fighter has died while competing in an event in Azerbaijan. If true, it will be tenth known fatality in mixed martial arts.
Via Google translate.
During an MMA championship in Azerbaijan, one of the participants was killed. 27-year-old Ramin Zeynalov received a strong blow to the head during the fight and lost consciousness. Doctors were not able to bring the athlete back to life. The cause of death was a brain hemorrhage.
His father, Aliabbas Zeynalov, said that his son was involved in fights without parental permission.
“Son competed without permission, we were against it,” said the father. “I gave him advise, and he did not listen, and as a result – death. It is said that before the fight he passed a medical examination.”
The brother of the deceased fighter, Rahman Zeynalov, said that Ramin wanted to achieve great heights in sports.
“My brother was a black belt in taekwon-do, silver medal in kickboxing, and he also won a victory in Muay Thai,” said the brother. “And the fourth of his favorite sport was mixed rules fighting. He was prepared for it, not very professional, but he was a true athlete, who won 11 medals.
“I watched the video of the moment of his death; there is no specific blame. He voluntarily took part in the competition, although our parents did not give him consent, but he still went and wanted to take the prize.”
Ramin, the youngest brother in the family, did not tell anyone that he had filed an application to participate in the mixed rules fight.
“We found out about it by accident,” said the brother. “Of course we started to dissuade him, saying that he had a family, he does not need, but he was not listening. He did not need the money, it was just his passion. He had a wonderful family, a little daughter.”
Regarding the investigation into the death, Rahman Zeynalov, who is himself a police officer, said the following.
“He did not ill, he was absolutely healthy, nothing was taken,” said the brother. “But there is the fact of death, and the prosecutor’s office will investigate, which revealed all the details. The opponent brother of Sumgait, who struck the fatal blow to the head, was not announced. President of the Federation and athletes attended the funeral of Ramin, and the guy even expressed his condolences over the phone. I think, even if it could be done. I can not blame him for the death of my brother – he attacked him not with weapons, it was a fight. But he gave condolences.”
The Surakhani District Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal case under article 124 (“manslaughter”) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, appointed by the relevant examination, investigation is underway.
Read entire article… (original Russian language)
Below is a list of the nine people believed to have died from injuries sustained during MMA competitions from 1993 to the present, not including the most recent.
Douglas Dedge • March 16, 1998 • Kiev, Ukraine • Unregulated • Chief emergency room doctor attributed death to “severe brain injuries.” • First MMA death in the modern era. • Dedge is reported to have passed out in training previous to the fight, and is believed to have had a preexisting medical condition.
Korean identified only as Lee • May 12, 2005 • Samsong-dong, South Korea • Entirely unregulated bout took place in a bar. • Cause of death was heart attack.
Sam Vasquez • October 20, 2007 • Houston Texas • Cause of death was subdural hemorrhage due to blunt trauma of the head, following a KO loss in the third round • First death in a sanctioned MMA event.
Michael Kirkham • June 26, 2010 • Aiken, South Carolina • Regulated bout • Cause of death was subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain • Kirkham lost his previous fight on April 24 by TKO; Dr. Joe Estwanik believes “this could have been second-impact syndrome.”
Mike Mittelmeier • April 27, 2012 • Bolivia • Unregulated bout allowing face kicks to grounded opponent; there was no ambulance standing by. • Mittlemeier got kicked in the head while attempting a leg lock. • Cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage.
Dustin Jenson • May 24, 2012 • Rapid City, South Dakota • Unregulated bout • Jenson tapped without appearing to take any severe blows. • Caue of death was subdural hemorrhage resulting from blunt force trauma to the head.
Tyrone Mims • August 11, 2012 • Mount Pleasant, South Carolina • Regulated bout • Autopsy results were inconclusive, with no evidence of a concussion or brain trauma detected, no drugs or alcohol detected by toxicology tests. “(Mims) might have had an irregular heart because of some electrical dysfunction,” said Coroner Rae Wooten. “That obviously isn’t seen after death. Once that’s completed, there’s no evidence of that…. There’s just nothing here that explains his death.”
Felix Elochukwu Nchikwo, fought under the name Felix Pablo Elochukwu • April 7th, 2013 • Port Huron, Michigan • Unregulated bout • According to the Michigan coroner’s office, there is “no evidence” that the fighter died from trauma he sustained during an unregulated mixed martial arts match.
Booto Guylain • Died March 5, 2014 from injuries sustained in a TKO loss at EFC Africa 27 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
