Once flying under the radar as a ‘guilty pleasure,’ MMA has evolved so much as a sport. Now finally experiencing status as a mainstream pursuit, mixed martial arts is still not free from worries. During a contest in Dublin, Ireland last April. Portuguese MMA fighter Joao Carvalho suffered a fatal brain injury. The tragic circumstances
Once flying under the radar as a ‘guilty pleasure,’ MMA has evolved so much as a sport. Now finally experiencing status as a mainstream pursuit, mixed martial arts is still not free from worries. During a contest in Dublin, Ireland last April. Portuguese MMA fighter Joao Carvalho suffered a fatal brain injury. The tragic circumstances of the event led to massive debate about the safety of MMA in Ireland. Ironically it was the very man who helped make MMA popular in Ireland, Conor McGregor, present in the final waking moments of Carvalho’s life.
Charlie Ward, McGregor’s teammate, was the man who defeated Carvalho by TKO. The media and Irish sports ministers condemned mixed martial arts, claiming it was an atrocity that children were present as Carvalho was ‘beaten to death.’ Spurring more research in to CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), Carvalho’s shocking passing will hopefully lead to a better future for fighters. As per The Irish Independent, professor Dan Healy says he is working towards a generation of CTE-free fighters:
Healy Wants To Learn Lessons From Joao’s Sad Case
“I’d like to see every young man and woman who decides to fight to do so knowing that every possible avoidable risk has been minimised,” he said.
“I’ve seen five brain haemorrhages in Irish MMA. The fighters were a variety of ages, both amateur and professional. It included people in their twenties and early thirties. CTE concerns me more than anything about all combat sports. This can be the first generation of fighters ever who don’t get CTE.”
Caoch Kavanagh
Given his connection to the sorrowful events in Dublin, Conor McGregor had expressed his own concerns about brain damage, even death in the UFC octagon. The former two-weight world champion’s coach, John Kavangh says McGregor’s entire style was built to avoid damaging blows:
“It’s a concern of every fighter. At that level of fighting the risk is very real,” Kavanagh said. But I think you can add on two hands the number of clean head shots Conor has taken in 10 years of pro-fighting. His style of fighting answers that, because his style is not brawling. He doesn’t step in the pocket and exchange punches.
His style is in and out – he’s very defensive. That style was born through not wanting to lose and not wanting to take head shots, and not wanting to damage the software.”
Much like in the US in the mid-2000’s, MMA is in a state of debate in Ireland. Perhaps Conor McGregor’s status as the UFC’s biggest star can make him an ambassador of sorts, and lead to positive results in all respects.
As 2016 rapidly draws to a conclusion and we take stock of the year gone by, one trend that casts a long shadow is the alarming number of past and present MMA fighters who’ve died over the past 12 months. Unfortunately the sport of mixed martial arts is still too young for this to simply
As 2016 rapidly draws to a conclusion and we take stock of the year gone by, one trend that casts a long shadow is the alarming number of past and present MMA fighters who’ve died over the past 12 months.
Unfortunately the sport of mixed martial arts is still too young for this to simply be a case of stars passing away due to old age. In fact, with the age of the 10 fighters listed here ranging from just 25-49 years old, we are left having to come to terms with the fact that these were 10 lives that were simply taken far too soon.
A knee-jerk reaction would be to assume that these deaths occurred due to injuries they sustained in the cage, but the truth is that only one of the ten passed away in that manner – although we can surely all agree that’s one too many.
As you’ll read in the pages to follow however, the reasons for the others deaths are just as hard to accept, from sudden medical emergencies to apparent suicide, from freak accidents to cold-blooded murder.
The death of an MMA fighter in Dublin could spell the end for MMA in the home country of Conor McGregor.
An Irish inquest has heard that an acute subdural haemorrhage following “blunt force trauma to the head” was responsible for the shocking death of fighter Joao Carvalho earlier this year.
The Team Nobrega man was pronounced dead in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland on April 11th, having taken ill following a TKO loss to UFC fighter Charlie Ward in their Total Extreme Fighting bout two days prior.
Fierce debate regarding fighter safety has ensued, with many calling for a flat-out ban of Mixed Martial Arts in Ireland.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="615"]Carvalho is the fifth Mix Martial Arts fighter to die in sanctioned bouts in less than 10 years[/caption]
Two investigations have been initiated by An Garda Siochana (The Irish police force) and the Health and Safety Authority. The former have have submitted a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), according to Detective Inspector Paul Cleary (via Breakingnews.ie):
“An Garda Siochana have prepared a file and it has been submitted to the DPP…criminal proceedings are being contemplated,” DI Cleary told the court.
“The HSA have carried out a separate investigation.”
The target of such proceedings is unclear, but further information is expected to be disclosed at a later date. The coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, has adjourned the inquest until June 2017.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"]The 28 year old’s death has polarised opinion regarding MMA regulation in Ireland[/caption]
The MMA fighter’s death has certainly polarised opinion in Ireland. Fierce debate regarding the safety of fighters competing in the octagon has seen calls for tougher regulation. The Irish Martial Arts Commission have rejected association with MMA, and refuse to recognise it as a sport due to it’s full-contact status, which further complicates matters.
Medical attention given to fighters, and stricter demands from referees are hot topics in this debate. While doctors clearly followed protocol in Carvalho v Ward, questions were asked of the refereeing standards during the fight. A view towards regulation appears the only way to safeguard the future of both competitors, and the sport in Ireland.
Some are of the opinion that MMA should be banned outright, however, with neurology professor Dr Tim Lynch stating in The Irish Times:
“Any sport that involves deliberately hitting the head and knocking people out needs to be asked questions, and we need to ask whether this is right. So from a personal perspective, yes, I think those types of sports should not be allowed.”
“I would have similar concerns about boxing. MMA goes a step up. I find it bizarre that it’s tolerated and doesn’t have a very critical review and discussion as to whether this should be encouraged, allowed, endorsed, and is regulation enough or should it be banned.”
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Charlie Ward (left) has since gone on to sign and compete under the UFC banner[/caption]
Martin Samuel, writer at The Daily Mail stated that [Carvalho’s death] was “an absolute scandal” and that he was “legally beaten to death in public”. Samuel represents the opinion that the sport “lacks credibility”.
With further pressure put on the Irish government to intervene in a shutdown of the sport, the country’s place at the table of UFC & Bellator et al would be in danger. Furthermore, it will effectively discredit the achievements of Ireland’s mega-star, and most famous sportsman of all time. Earlier this year, France voted to ban MMA, so there is a distinct possibility that the Emerald Isle could follow suit.
What this would mean for the likes of Conor McGregor, SBG and Charlie Ward remains to be seen. It is looking almost certain that Mixed Martial Arts in its existing carnation could be on borrowed time for the “Fighting Irish” at home, however…
The death of an MMA fighter in Dublin could spell the end for MMA in the home country of Conor McGregor.
An Irish inquest has heard that an acute subdural haemorrhage following “blunt force trauma to the head” was responsible for the shocking death of fighter Joao Carvalho earlier this year.
The Team Nobrega man was pronounced dead in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland on April 11th, having taken ill following a TKO loss to UFC fighter Charlie Ward in their Total Extreme Fighting bout two days prior.
Fierce debate regarding fighter safety has ensued, with many calling for a flat-out ban of Mixed Martial Arts in Ireland.
Carvalho is the fifth Mix Martial Arts fighter to die in sanctioned bouts in less than 10 years
Two investigations have been initiated by An Garda Siochana (The Irish police force) and the Health and Safety Authority. The former have have submitted a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), according to Detective Inspector Paul Cleary (via Breakingnews.ie):
“An Garda Siochana have prepared a file and it has been submitted to the DPP…criminal proceedings are being contemplated,” DI Cleary told the court.
“The HSA have carried out a separate investigation.”
The target of such proceedings is unclear, but further information is expected to be disclosed at a later date. The coroner, Dr Myra Cullinane, has adjourned the inquest until June 2017.
The 28 year old’s death has polarised opinion regarding MMA regulation in Ireland
The MMA fighter’s death has certainly polarised opinion in Ireland. Fierce debate regarding the safety of fighters competing in the octagon has seen calls for tougher regulation. The Irish Martial Arts Commission have rejected association with MMA, and refuse to recognise it as a sport due to it’s full-contact status, which further complicates matters.
Medical attention given to fighters, and stricter demands from referees are hot topics in this debate. While doctors clearly followed protocol in Carvalho v Ward, questions were asked of the refereeing standards during the fight. A view towards regulation appears the only way to safeguard the future of both competitors, and the sport in Ireland.
Some are of the opinion that MMA should be banned outright, however, with neurology professor Dr Tim Lynch stating in The Irish Times:
“Any sport that involves deliberately hitting the head and knocking people out needs to be asked questions, and we need to ask whether this is right. So from a personal perspective, yes, I think those types of sports should not be allowed.”
“I would have similar concerns about boxing. MMA goes a step up. I find it bizarre that it’s tolerated and doesn’t have a very critical review and discussion as to whether this should be encouraged, allowed, endorsed, and is regulation enough or should it be banned.”
Charlie Ward (left) has since gone on to sign and compete under the UFC banner
Martin Samuel, writer at The Daily Mail stated that [Carvalho’s death] was “an absolute scandal” and that he was “legally beaten to death in public”. Samuel represents the opinion that the sport “lacks credibility”.
With further pressure put on the Irish government to intervene in a shutdown of the sport, the country’s place at the table of UFC & Bellator et al would be in danger. Furthermore, it will effectively discredit the achievements of Ireland’s mega-star, and most famous sportsman of all time. Earlier this year, France voted to ban MMA, so there is a distinct possibility that the Emerald Isle could follow suit.
What this would mean for the likes of Conor McGregor, SBG and Charlie Ward remains to be seen. It is looking almost certain that Mixed Martial Arts in its existing carnation could be on borrowed time for the “Fighting Irish” at home, however…
The UFC’s expansion around the globe has seen unprecedented influence in previously uncharted waters. One much smaller country that’s become obsessed with the sport is Ireland. Perhaps the most recognisable Irish athlete ever and the current UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has helped blaze a trail for the sport in his native country. It was
The UFC’s expansion around the globe has seen unprecedented influence in previously uncharted waters. One much smaller country that’s become obsessed with the sport is Ireland. Perhaps the most recognisable Irish athlete ever and the current UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has helped blaze a trail for the sport in his native country. It was all relatively smooth sailing until June of this year, when the tragic death of Joao Carvalho rocked the boat.
To this day MMA has not been a recognised or regulated sport in Ireland, and the death of the young Portuguese fighter on Eire soil essentially raised staunch opposition to the sport amid a media frenzy. Tabloids were describing ‘the night a man was murdered for sport’ on April 11. In a strange twist it was in fact MMA’s biggest star Conor McGregor who helped train his team-mate Charlie Ward to fight Carvalho that fateful night in Dublin.
Carvalho died following injuries sustained in an MMA contest in Ireland this year…
The papers and news reports were of course damning to the sports image in Ireland, and a report on RTE.Ie reveals just how much damage was done during that dark period. The Irish Martial Arts Commission was asked to consider taking MMA under its control this year. The IMAC would then oversee and regulate, essentially making safer, the sport of MMA. Their response was pretty much as condemning as could be. Writing to the Olympic Committee, IMAC made the following statements:
It said it agreed with reports describing MMA as “pornographic, sadistic and voyeuristic to its core”.
“We have to be strong enough to say no – to draw a line – and live with the criticism of the MMA fan core and vested business interests”.
“If MMA is not interested in changing the rules regarding elements such as ‘ground and pound’ then a ban is the only option to those whom ‘they’ are saying should regulate MMA”,
“consumers of MMA want to see people not just beaten, but physically damaged”.
“There are elements which are allowed in MMA that are intentionally dangerous, that cannot be avoided no matter how many doctors are present.”
In its current state, the Commission is refusing to recognise MMA as a sport, even though many of their countries young athletes are beginning to see success at the amateur and professional levels. The struggle continues for MMA in Ireland.
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has been at the forefront of mixed martial arts since thrashing Jose Aldo the title at UFC 194. He’s seen the wuthering heights of being the most popular MMA star today, and has also paved the way for the sport in his native Ireland. But just last week ‘The Notorious’
UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has been at the forefront of mixed martial arts since thrashing Jose Aldo the title at UFC 194. He’s seen the wuthering heights of being the most popular MMA star today, and has also paved the way for the sport in his native Ireland. But just last week ‘The Notorious’ was present for one of the lowest points possible in this sport, witnessing the fight that eventually led to the loss of a 28-year old Portuguese man’s life. We are referring to the tragic loss of Joao Carvalho following his TKO at the hands of SBGs Charlie Ward.
McGregor was front and centre to witness the bout in Dublin last weekend, and it made headline news when Carvalho was taken ill following the fight. Just two days late was sadly pronounced dead in the Beaumont hospital from brain injuries sustained during his last fight. The world of MMA was plunged in to mourning and reflection following this tale of woe, and it’s led to some massive debate in Ireland since.
Tributes poured out for the fallen warrior Joao Carvalho, but of course there were more than just heart felt messages making the rounds. A number of heated articles hit the mainstream news outlets, one such piece by Irish football pundit Joe Brolly has used much controversy.
Here’s the highlights of the spread from Independent.ie:
Is it good enough that a young man be beaten to death in a cage for our amusement? Is it good enough that as he begins the slow process of dying, lying on the canvas like a tranquillised cow in the abattoir, Conor McGregor, our most famous sportsman, is giving high fives all around, laughing, and beating his chest? Is it?
When Henry Fauntleroy, a gentleman fraudster, was hanged at Newgate in 1824, the crowd was estimated at 100,000. If a smart promoter like Barry Hearn (above) had been alive then, he’d have hired Michael Buffer to say, “Let’s get ready to haaaaaaaaaaaaaaang . . .” and get a half-naked dolly bird to hold up notices between executions.
The violent professional sports lobby reacts violently to criticism, like the US gun lobby. They say “the fighters want to do it. It is their escape from the ghetto. Their means of expression.” When the young Welsh boxer Johnny Owen died in the ring, Hugh McIlvanney, one of those great writers who like Norman Mailer mythologises fighting, said, “It is his tragedy that he found himself articulate in such a violent language”. As though nothing could have been done about it. He was fucking dead, Hugh. Dead! Do you comprehend what that means? For him. For his family.
The fact that there are young men with violent tendencies who are prepared to put themselves on the line is neither here nor there. As a young fighter said in RTé’s recent documentary on MMA: “I like to hurt people.” Put it this way. If an American hedge fund millionaire started ‘Ultimate Combat’, where the fighters use weapons and the battle is to the death, he’d have a queue of men wanting to sign up.
They could sign consent forms. He could put them in an amphitheatre and he would most certainly fill it to overflowing. Come to think of it, that’s already been done. In Ancient Rome. And didn’t it work brilliantly? The new sport would sweep the planet. We’d all be glued to our screens. PPVs would break all records. Young men would die. But hey, it’s their tragedy if they find themselves articulate in such a dangerous language.
The promoters would become richer than Trump. The fighters would mostly die, or be disabled, or die in poverty. Just like they do now. They would take to crime and drugs, or alcohol, like Jermain Taylor, or Kelly Pavlik, or Riddick Bowe, or Mike Tyson, or Arturo Gatti or so many other ex-world champions. And that’s the cream.
These violent life-and-death sports are fun. They bring us to somewhere primitive inside us. It is why the spectators in the Colosseum gasped and cheered as the knife was thrust home. Or why the toffs on the balcony at Newgate paid big money to watch the hangman pull the lever. It is why young, penniless men are queueing up to try to murder each other in cages and boxing rings. And why Conor McGregor high fives and beats his chest as a young man dies.
It’s not the fighters’ fault. Nor the referees’. Nor the promoters’. Nor the audiences’. The law permits it. And it shouldn’t. Time to ban these violent pro sports. Sometimes, human beings have to be protected from themselves.
The MMA world is greatly saddened by the death of fighter Joao Carvalho after he sustained a TKO loss to Charlie Ward in Dublin, Ireland, this past weekend. Carvalho was involved in a back-and-forth affair with Conor McGregor’s teammate Ward, who eventually won via TKO in the third. After the fight, the Portuguese fighter was
Carvalho was involved in a back-and-forth affair with Conor McGregor’s teammate Ward, who eventually won via TKO in the third. After the fight, the Portuguese fighter was apparently fine, but then began suffering from headaches and nausea and was rushed to the hospital.
It’s an uncommon and unfortunate set of circumstances that has the Irish MMA community understandably shook to its core. In his home city Dublin to support Ward and his other teammates ringside, ‘The Notorious’ posted a heart-felt response to Carvalho’s unfortunate and untimely passing this afternoon:
It could not be summed up better than how McGregor put it, as he knows the extreme high and lows of the fight game after his meteoric rise from a competitor who was once on welfare to his lofty position as the UFC’s biggest star as their featherweight champion.
But he’s never been forced to suffer anything like the sadness Carvalho’s family is suffering now, and it’s almost impossible to offer up any words of condolence and support to them in a time like this.
He most certainly tried in eloquent fashion, and at this point, that’s all anyone close to the situation can do. Our hearts and best wishes go out to the family of Joao Carvalho, and we can only hope a situation this does not arise in MMA ever again.
![joao-carvalho[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/joao-carvalho1.jpg)
