MMA fighter Michael Kirkham was making his professional debut in South Carolina over the weekend after having fought six times in amateur competition. Unfortunately for Kirkham, his friends and his family, he passed away following the events of the bout. This marks the second death in a sanctioned MMA bout. From WRDW in Augusta, GA:
MMA Rookie Michael Kirkham Dies In Pro Debut
Michael Kirkham, 30 years old, from Gaston, SC died this morning as a result of a head injury during his MMA event at USC Aiken Saturday. He was pronounced dead this morning at Aiken Regional Medical Center.
Kirkham was transported to Aiken Regional Medical Center after he was struck several times in the head. He was unresponsive when transported and never regained consciousness. He died of a brain hemorrhage.
This is an immensely tragic situation and SB Nation sends our sincerest condolences to those affected by Saturday’s events.
MMA Fighting shared some details including he fact that Kirkham, nicknamed “Tree,” was 6’9” tall and fought as a lightweight (155 pound maximum) and was the captain of his own fight team. There is a lot to the situation and out of respect people should be hesitant to state anything as fact.
However, it is hard to overlook a six-foot nine-inch man competing in a brutal sport weighing only 155 pounds. The dangers of extreme weight cutting are well known including the increased chances of brain injury. At the same time, it is possible that Kirkham had an extreme metabolism and was a naturally thin-framed person. It sounds as though the South Carolina athletic commission has only been around for a year but does require professional fighters to undergo doctor physicals and all the other standard tests. Assuming nothing turned up in the physical it is hard to say that the AC bears full responsibility in the situation.
Rather than speculate on what happened, it would be most respectful to allow the full details on the situation to come to light so that we can determine if this was preventable and how to stop a similar situation from occurring again. This is a dangerous sport and we have to come to terms with the fact that death is a possibility and move forward in ways that protect future fighters.
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