THE international governing body of mixed martial arts (MMA) is to investigate the death of a fighter following a weekend bout in Dublin.
João Carvalho (28) died at the city's Beaumont Hospital two days after the fight at the National Stadium on Saturday.
The Portuguese fighter had been competing in a welterweight contest against Charlie Ward, a team-mate of UFC Champion Conor McGregor.
The bout was stopped in the third round by the referee due to a technical knockout and Carvalho was checked by doctors at the stadium.
Katarzyna Michlic, owner of Eventmed which provided medical support for the event, said he "appeared fine" and was "walking, talking and smiling. Everything seemed perfectly fine".
"After he walked back to the medical room the doctors did some tests backstage and there was nothing out of the ordinary about their results," she told SevereMMA.com.
"They prepared the ambulance to take him to the hospital.
"Ten minutes later he started complaining that he was suffering from headaches. He felt a lot of nausea and he began to vomit.
"Five minutes later he was significantly worse so we got him into the ambulance and rang the hospital to let them know he was coming."
Carvalho underwent emergency brain surgery, but died on Monday.
His trainer Vitor Nóbrega said the event "complied with all the safety rules" and arbitrators had followed "all the correct procedures".
"It is with great sorrow and sadness that we write these words, that the death of the athlete João Carvalho happened after 48 hours in critical condition," he said.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation said they "offer our deepest sympathies and prayers to his family and friends".
IMMAF president Kerrith Brown said: "We are in the process of gathering information with the support of the Irish Amateur Pankration Association and await the outcome of official medical reports".
Coach John Kavanagh, who trains Ward and McGregor, said it was with "heavy hearts that we mourn the passing" of Carvalho.
McGregor issued a statement on Facebook: "Tragic news from the event McGregor himself attended. Our condolences go to Carvalho's family, friends, and team".
He added: "To see a young man doing what he loves, competing for a chance at a better life, and then to have it taken away is truly heartbreaking.
"We are just men and women doing something we love in the hope of a better life for ourselves and our families.
"Nobody involved in combat sports of any kind wants to see this. It is such a rare occurrence that I don't know how to take this. I was ringside supporting my teammate, and the fight was so back and forth, that I just can't understand it.
"Combat sport is a crazy game and with the recent incident in boxing and now this in MMA, it is a sad time to be a fighter and a fight fan.
"It is easy for those on the outside to criticise our way of living, but for the millions of people around the world who have had their lives, their health, their fitness and their mental strength all changed for the better through combat, this is truly a bitter pill to swallow.
"We have lost one of us. I hope we remember Joao as a champion, who pursued his dream doing what he loved, and show him the eternal respect and admiration he deserves."
Ward's father, Charlie Snr told RTÉ's Liveline on Tuesday that his son "didn't go out to kill anyone".
"He went out to win his fight, but the referee could have been in a bit quicker."
Mr Ward said Charlie's mother is "in bits", adding: "It could have been him the same as that young lad.
"It is a worry, don't get me wrong. I can't tell him what to do, if he's happy doing it, I'm not going to stop him."
But he said his son had insisted that the strikes at the end to the fight were not as powerful as they may have appeared.
"A child would have taken them, that's what he said," Mr Ward said.
"(He said) 'I was stopping those punches because I knew I had him beaten'."
