Brain injury charity Headway has again called for boxing to be banned after the death of Russian Maxim Dadashev.
The 28-year-old died following injuries suffered in his IBF light-welterweight fight against Subriel Matias in the United States on Friday.
The bout was stopped by Dadashev’s trainer Buddy McGirt at the end of the 11th round and the Russian was taken to hospital with bleeding on the brain but failed to recover following emergency surgery.
The Top Rank family mourns the passing of Maxim Dadashev. Maxim was a talented fighter inside the ring and a loving husband and father outside the ropes. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/bTVO0xcWhN — Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 23, 2019
The charity has called Dadashev’s death an “unacceptable waste of yet another young life”.
Chief executive Peter McCabe said: “We are saddened to hear of this tragic loss of life and our thoughts go out to Maxim’s family and friends.
“It’s heartbreaking that another child has lost their father in this senseless manner.
“Suggestions that boxers understand the risk, or that such tragedies are unpredictable are simply not credible. Young boxers are not provided with the information to make an informed choice.
So terribly sad to hear the news of the passing of Maxim Dadashev. Rest in peace 😔 — Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) July 23, 2019
“So long as the ultimate objective of boxing is to render your opponent senseless by repeated blows to the head, then boxing will remain a dangerous activity.
“In the words of Maxim’s own trainer Buddy McGirt after the fight, ‘He seemed OK, he was ready, but it’s the sport that we’re in. It just takes one punch’.
“The time has come for boxing to be banned.”
On Thursday it was announced that another boxer, Argentina’s Hugo Santillan, had died from injuries sustained during a WBC title fight in Buenos Aires.
The World Boxing Council tweeted: “RIP Hugo Santillan. He passed away from injuries suffered during Saturday’s fight which ended in a draw. We join Hugo’s family and friends in grief, support and wish prompt resignation.”
