An MMA fighter has died after being punched in the head during a kickboxing match.
Nikhil Suresh died following a blow to the face in his fight at the Rapid Fitness Gym in Jnanabharati, India, on Wednesday (13 July).
Shocking footage shared online shows the 23-year-old moving around the ring and throwing a couple of kicks before being punched.
Nikhil then drops to the canvas and appears to be motionless as the referee calls an end to the fight.
Advert
The young fighter sadly died four days after the bout, which was organised by K-1 Kickboxing Association of Karnataka as part of the K-1 kickboxing championship.
Following his death, Nikhil's dad lodged a complaint with the police, accusing the organisers of negligence.
Officers visited the venue of the fight on Friday (15 July), but the event's organiser, Naveen Ravishankar, has since disappeared.
Advert
A police source said: "The spot inspection will play a vital role in proving or disproving negligence charges involving the organisers, as claimed by Nikhil's father".
Sharing his condolences with Nikhil's family, his coach Vikram Nagaraj said he was 'beautiful soul'.
He told Times of India: "With profound sadness, I shoulder the burden of breaking the terrible news that we all dreaded. My boy Nikhil decided to hang his gloves today.
"His beautiful soul left us behind after a hard-fought battle in the early hours of today in spite of the best medical attention. He will be etched eternally on our hearts and memories. I am shattered beyond words by my loss.
Advert
"Today I have lost a son. We pray almighty to give us all enough strength to bear the unbearable. My deepest condolences."
Writing on Facebook, Nagaraj slammed the organisers for not providing adequate medical assistance.
He said: "Had there been an ambulance, trained medical staff and a standard fighting platform at the venue he wouldn't have lost those precious golden moments when the tragedy struck and could have saved him from this agony.
Advert
"This cries for a major overhaul in the mindset of organizers and associations to follow safety protocols which are already in place for combat sports.
"Undoubtedly a tournament is very important for upcoming athletes but tournaments as these will not only put athletes life to risk along side putting the integrity and reputation of combat sports to peril."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Sport, World News
Dominic Smithers