Bare-knuckle boxer Thornton dies at 38, sparking safety concerns

LOS ANGELES • Mixed martial arts fighter Justin Thornton died on Monday at the age 38 after suffering serious injuries in a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) bout in August in Mississippi.

The promotion confirmed his death, with BKFC president David Feldman saying: "We join the rest of the combat sports community in sending our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."

Thornton, whose day job was a computer repairman, was knocked out by Dillon Cleckler just 19 seconds into the Aug 20 heavyweight fight.

Cleckler, 39, issued a statement on Tuesday on social media, saying: "Justin was a fighter his entire life and deserves nothing but respect!!! My thoughts and prayers are with Justin Thornton and his family at this time. RIP warrior."

Mississippi Athletic Commission chairman Jon Lewis said Thornton, who compiled a 6-18 career record, had suffered a major spinal injury as a result of his knockout.

"It's tough for me, because I've known Justin on a personal basis," he added. "He got knocked out, like any other knockout.

"But when he fell, he fell in a diving motion, and he hit the top of his head first - causing a neck compression - and he had a spinal hematoma."

Amber Willard, who said she was Thornton's on-and-off girlfriend, wrote on Facebook last month that her partner was left paralysed and was on a ventilator.

Bare-knuckle boxing is considered to be the most extreme version of pro fighting as combatants fight without gloves.

The sport is sanctioned in just six American states but BKFC has drawn several high-profile former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stars, including Paige VanZant, Chris Leben, Artem Lobov as well as pro boxer Paulie Malignaggi.

While bare-knuckle boxing is still on the fringe, given its brutality, it is growing in popularity.

This has led the medical committee of the Association of Boxing Commissions to issue a warning on Tuesday, condemning its common malpractices.

"The Association of Boxing Commission's medical committee is especially concerned that athletes competing in BKB may be at higher risks for acute and chronic injuries due to these and other factors," it said.

"More concerning is the fact that many commissions still do not require any imaging studies (CT scan or MRI scan) in a sport where individuals are at risk for acute and also chronic head injuries."

REUTERS