Another combat sports star has unfortunately lost his life shortly after fight night.
An Indian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter has sadly passed away shortly after suffering a knockout loss inside the cage.
Indian MMA Fighter Dies After KO Loss
Nikhil Suresh competed in a kickboxing event that was held by the K1 Association of Karnataka.
During the match, Suresh took a shot that knocked him unconscious, dropping him to the canvas for the knockout loss.
After the fight, Suresh was hospitalized and later succumbed to his injuries. He passed away Wednesday, July 13.
His coach, Vikram Nagaraj, announced the sad news on social media with the following message.
“With profound sadness, I shoulder the burden of breaking the terrible news that we all dreaded. My boy Nikhil decided to hang his gloves today,” Nagaraj said on Instagram.
“His beautiful soul left us behind after a hard-fought battle in the early hours of today in spite of the best medical attention. He will be etched eternally on our hearts and memories. I am shattered beyond words by my loss. Today I have lost a son.
“We pray almighty to give us all enough strength to bear the unbearable. My deepest condolences.”
Furthermore, Nagaraj detailed that Suresh was in critical condition but the promotion did not have any medical personnel or facilities available at the show.
He argues that Suresh would not have been in as terrible of a state had he received immediate medical attention at the event.
“My boy Nikhil is in a critical state of health post a knock out suffered at the K1 Kickboxing championship organized by K1 association of Karnataka on 9th and 10th of July 2022 in Bangalore,” Nagaraj said.
“Had there been an ambulance, trained medical staff and a standard fighting platform at the venue he wouldn’t have lost those precious golden moments when the tragedy struck and could have saved him from this agony.
“This cries for a major overhaul in the mindset of organizers and associations to follow safety protocols which are already in place for combat sports.”
Suresh’s team has also indicated that his family has begun legal proceedings against the K1 Association.
