Fighting for $20 prize, amateur boxer João Victor Penha dies after tragic fight in Brazil

Young amateur boxer João Victor Penha tragically lost his life after an amateur boxing match. 

Fighting for $20 prize, amateur boxer João Victor Penha dies after tragic fight in Brazil

João Victor Penha (image credit- X)

Brazil is a powerhouse in the world of combat sports, but the country is better known for producing world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts and amazing mixed martial arts fighters. Some Brazilian MMA fighters prefer boxing, such as Junior dos Santos, but it’s rare. Similarly, an unknown amateur Brazilian boxer, João Victor Penha, has come under the spotlight, but under horrible circumstances.

Penha, who is 23 years old and is an amateur boxer, decided to fight an amateur match against his family’s wishes. He was in the lead for the majority of the fight, but it didn’t turn out that way. A minute and a half into the fight, Penha lost consciousness. He regained consciousness later after the fight, but the knockout he received was fatal.

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Subsequently, Penha suffered cranioencephalic trauma, a type of non-degenerative brain injury, and he tragically died three days later.

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The amateur bout, which had a prize money of only $20, was conducted on a basketball court with a fighting mat. Subsequently, both fighters had no headgear on, and after Penha got knocked out, he directly dropped on the mat. Hence, it can be presumed that the impact from the punch and the damage done after falling led to this tragic loss.

The incident with João Victor Penha is the most recent in a string of recent combat sports cases in which fighters have suffered life-altering or career-ending brain injuries. Similarly, professional boxer Prichard Colon also suffered permanent brain damage during a fight, which left him paralyzed.

British boxer Conner Coghill suffers brain injuries after fight

There was a time when Conner Coghill was regarded as one of the top featherweight prospects in the world. Subsequently, many people predicted that he would take the featherweight division by storm. By the time of his 15th fight on October 7, Coghill, 28, was one of England’s brightest undefeated prospects.

Conner Coghill
Conner Coghill (image credit- Hull Live)

Furthermore, Coghill suffered his first loss when he fought against the undefeated Hopey Price for the WBC continental title. During the match, Price was able to knock down Coghill in the 6th round, 11th round, and twice in the 12th round. Hence, this led the referee to finally stop the match, but the four knockdowns Coghill suffered proved to be life-altering.

After the match, Coghill suffered his first loss and complained about having headaches, which made him go to the hospital. Subsequently, after conducting brain scans, it was revealed that there was bleeding inside his brain. Coghill’s condition is stable, and he is in recovery, but his boxing career might come to an end because of this, sadly.

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