Friday night?s co-main event at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland between Subriel Matias and Maxim Dadashev ended in tragedy. After taking a wicked beating and trailing by a wide margin on all three judges? scorecards, Dadashev?s trainer Buddy McGirt, after telling his incoherent fighter that he was going to stop it, threw in the towel at the end of the 11th round. But it was too late, to save Dadashev?s career, perhaps to even save his life.
Dadashev had been stumbling around the ring at least from the ninth round. He, like Matias, was undefeated coming in, so in this instance the matchmaking was not at fault. But repeated shots to the head and body had severely compromised his motor skills, even though Dadashev continued to fight, because that?s what fighters do, with diminishing results as the bout progressed.
Unable to walk from the ring under his own power, although he tried, a stretcher, after much amateurish diddling around, was finally wheeled in his direction and he was rushed by ambulance, where he lost consciousness, to UM Prince George?s Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland. He was diagnosed with a severe brain bleed and scheduled for surgery for a subdural hematoma, where a part of his skull was removed to reduce the swelling.
Unaware of the severity of the situation, McGirt said after the fight, ?I think right now he?s dehydrated. I think he really needs some IVs in him. He didn?t want to drink much water in the corner. He kept spitting it out. He had one hell of a fight, tough fight. He took a lot of shots. I think it was time to stop it.?
It was, however, beyond time to stop it.
Speaking with Bernardo Osuna in the immediate aftermath of the stoppage, McGirt, who some are calling a hero, said, ?One punch can change a man?s life. I?d rather he be mad at me for a day or two than be mad at me for the rest of his life.?
Boxing is a guilty pleasure in the best of times. In the worst of times, when a fighter is punched to the brink of death, the guilt, for those who are not desensitized, far outweighs the pleasure.
