Vasquez First MMA-Related Casualty
Published by on January 6th, 2008 in Remembering

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Sam Vasquez, a 35-year-old mixed martial artist, died on November 30 from injuries sustained in a pro bout that took place on October 20 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Vasquez, competing in his third professional fight, was in the third round of a bout against Vince Libardi, a veteran of seven pro matches, and had taken several telling blows, including a solid right hand to his chin, which sent him down. He was allowed to get up, with the intention of continuing, but then collapsed, forcing a stoppage.

Vasquez was then attended to by emergency medical technicians and rushed to Saint Joseph Medical Center in Houston. An acute blood clot was later spotted on his brain, requiring surgery that took place on November 4. A second surgery was subsequently performed when another clot was found; then Vasquez suffered a massive stroke on November 9, after which he was induced into coma. He moved to a hospice on November 26 and died four days later.

He was the victim of the first fatality from an MMA bout in the United States, and the first regulated by a state or tribal athletic commission. In this case, it was the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which has asserted that everything was done in compliance with the commission rules. The presence of EMT’s is a requirement as per the state’s regulations.

Previous to Vasquez, another MMA fighter named Douglas Dedge died from injuries suffered in an unregulated contest in the Ukraine back in 1998. According to sources from inside the Texas commission, the Vasquez death will have no impact on whether the state sanctions events in the very near future.

Vasquez leaves behind his wife, Sandra, and a seven-year-old son.