In 2016 Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho died due to head trauma following a bout with Charlie Ward following a third round TKO loss. At the time he became the 14th addition to MMA’s modern fatality list.
The bout took place in Dublin Ireland under the promotion Total Extreme Fighting. It was a unregulated bout with the promoter reportedly following the guidelines set by SAFE MMA.
An inquest into the fighters death by authorities has now been concluded which ruled ‘death by misadventure’. The Independent reports as follows:
The cause of death was acute subdural hemorrage due to blunt force trauma to the head, with aspiration of gastric contents as a contributory factor.
The jury returned a verdict of misadventure and recommended the endorsement of a national governing body for MMA in Ireland.
The jury further recommended that all medical partners engage nationally qualified paramedics and in the short term MMA Ireland adopts the Boxing safety standards.
Combat Sports Law 