More on Michael Kirkham, MMA Fighter Who Died After Competing
by Kid Nate on Jul 5, 2010 9:41 AM EDT
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The Augusta Chronicle had three stories on the late Michael Kirkham on Saturday. They spoke with Carlos Iraburo, his opponent:
"I got really emotional and thought, 'What have I done?' " Iraburo said.
He went home that night to his wife and two children still worried about Kirkham. He tried calling the hospital in Aiken, but no one would give him any information.
When he read online the news of Kirkham's death, "it was overwhelming," Iraburo said.
"I have to admit, it's not an easy feeling. I'm going to be messed up inside for a while."
They spoke with his brother T.J. Kirkham:
TJ Kirkham describes his brother as a devoted father who was involved in his children's lives. When construction work was scarce, he walked three hours to the closest job.
His journey toward professional MMA fighting started two years ago. He had limited access to a gym or a coach, but his family knew that wouldn't stop him.
Instead of treadmills and barbells, Kirkham jogged dusty roads and lifted cinder blocks.
They also discuss the potential political impact of Kirkham's death on MMA in South Carolina.
The Charleston Post and Courier, one of the state's most influential dailies is calling for banning the sport:
South Carolina has had enough problems with blood sports involving animals -- cockfighting, dog fighting, hog-dog fighting. It doesn't need to get behind those involving humans.
Legislators should choose carefully when the state's image is at issue.
Cockfighting draws many spectators, some from out of state. And it generates a substantial financial return, at least for those on the winning side. Still, cockfighting isn't an enterprise worth cultivating for South Carolina.
Neither is mixed martial arts.
And MMA Junkie reports on a fund raising drive for Kirkham's family -- he left five young children:
Donations can be made online via PayPal at michaelkirkhammemorialfund.viviti.com. A link to the fund is also available on www.greubelsmma.com.
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Where can I buy the next hog-dog fight PPV?
Sounds awesome.
by cyke on Jul 5, 2010 9:51 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I know you're joking
but I had to look it up anyway:
“In hog-dog fighting or "catch dog trials," dogs chase trapped hogs in front of spectators. Players rank the dogs by how quickly they bite into a hog’s face and pull the screaming animal down. Dogs often injure the hogs horribly during the match, and the hogs may gore the dogs with their tusks.”
Kalib Starnes vs. Nate Quarry?
Instead of "Killed After Competing"
It should be “Who Died After Competing” in the title. The current title makes it sound like a murder. The current title reflects badly upon the sport and is both misleading and inaccurate.
by mma_critic on Jul 5, 2010 10:17 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
First, what happened to Michael Kirkham is absolutely HORRIBLE. I have wreslted for 10 years and am a BJJ blue-belt (hardly an expert in either combat sports or journalism), but instead of the Charleston Post calling for a ban of MMA, why don’t they do an expose on the Athletic Commission and write an article on how they can make it more like the NJSAC (and others). Instead of calling MMA “human-cockfighting”, an unoriginal, half-hearted attempt to not learn anything about the sport, say that the people who sanction the fights are wrong. I don’t want this to seem I am making light of what the Kirkham family is going through, I can’t imagine what they are going through. I’m just not certain that if this fight happens in NJ that Kirkham even would have fought. That is my overall point. It’s not the sport that needs an “over-haul”, its the commissions.
by thebookofrob on Jul 5, 2010 10:23 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
*Yes, I realize that they didn’t call MMA “human-cockfighting”, but the comparison between MMA to dog/cockfighting (hot-dog fighting?!?) is ignorant enough.
by thebookofrob on Jul 5, 2010 10:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
A 6'9" lightweight dies.
The story isn’t that he died, it’s that a 6’9" guy was allowed to fight as a clearly underweight lightweight.
How much weight did he have to cut to make the limit? How much real training did he have? Were doctors present? Was their pre-fight med screening, and if so, what did it check for?
I’m guessing the Charleston Post doesn’t call for the banning of football when a high school kids dehydrates and falls over dead during two-a-days.
Koscheck eats it.
by Ozzz on Jul 5, 2010 10:41 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Perhaps I missed it
but did anyone else on BE have a chance to review the actual slam that killed Michael Kirkham? I’d be interested to know if it was a legal move or if it was something that was illegal and dangerous in and of itself.
A quick update on the cause of death
From local news channel WJBF:
According to Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton, autopsy results confirmed that Michael Kirkham died from a subarachnoid hemorrhage of the brain due to the injuries/blows to the head he received during the MMA match. Toxicology is pending. Manner of death is to be ruled as accidental. The Aiken County Coroner’s Office is still awaiting the video of the fight from the SC Athletic Commission.
I’m not a doctor, but here’s the link to subarachnoid hemorrhage on Wikipedia. It’s important to notice that 85% of subarachnoid hemorrhages are caused by aneurysms. Detection can be difficult even if athletic commissions required CT or MRI scans for all fighters.
by mma_critic on Jul 5, 2010 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
For whatever it's worth
The State is South Carolina’s newspaper of record.
by Jonathan Snowden on Jul 5, 2010 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
They should ban High School and College Football.
Way more people die in that than state sanctioned MMA.
by Polyhedron on Jul 5, 2010 11:49 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
The double standards with sate law making are ridiculous...
I would hope the writer of the article in the Charleston Post is also calling for the banning of boxing matches in SC. If not this person has no credibility. There are WAY MORE deaths in boxing every year than in MMA.
It’s like the opponents of medical marijuana. Show me one alleged “danger” of marijuana decriminalization that doesn’t apply 3 fold to alcohol. Potential for addiction? Violence? Usage by children? Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol
These people do not base their opinions in fact, but in their own twisted moral views. In this case, the writer is probably just pandering to the old, conservative readership. aka- the only people that still read print media
This will not stand man, this aggression will not stand!
that poster kinda looks pretty stupid...
but more importantly, banning the entire sport for that is way way more stupid… would you ban cheerdancing? football? boxing? cricket? piko? (haha)
I really just feel terrible for Carlos Iraburo. I don’t know how he could live a day without this resting on his conscience. Even though it wasn’t his fault the guilt must be unreal.
Stallar.com take a gander!
Amen,
The story is really sad, but damn that’s hard to read about Carlos. His life is changed forever. Kirkham made his decision and even though it’s sad and tragic, he made the decision to fight like that. But Carlos probably will never be the same. I couldn’t imagine going through something like that.
Dana White
I wonder if Dana White who plays $20,000 a hand at Blackjack made a donation.
I don’t really see what difference that makes, he’s no more linked to this than you or I, and if your just going to pick on people with lots of money then there are a hell of a lot of other people to mention as well.
by TheKeyboardWarrior on Jul 5, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
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