The UFC president Dana White slammed Bare Knuckle FC for failing to care about the participants’ health.
In the world of MMA, a tragedy has occurred. Justin Thornton, who competed in the Bare Knuckle FC promotion, died shortly after the knockout. The American, who had a long MMA career, was knocked out in the first round of the new bare-knuckle promotion.
Thornton, 37, made his Bare Knuckle FC debut in August in the BKFC 20 competition in Mississippi. He faced off against Dillon Cleckler in a match. Thornton tumbled to the ground horribly after missing a thunderous right kick after 18 seconds. Justin flew upside down, and his reaction indicated that something severe had occurred.
Thornton was rushed to the hospital, and it became clear that he needed to be hospitalized. He was in the hospital for several weeks, partially paralyzed as a result of a spinal injury. The sportsman was never able to recuperate from his injuries.
“Why did he get into the cage when he can’t fight?” The knockdown amused the audience. BKFC President David Feldman confirmed the facts and expressed his sorrow during the ASA event. “We learned of the death of one of our fighters, Justin Thornton, this morning with profound sadness. On August 20, 2021, he competed in the BKFC 20 event.
We with all the MMA world want to tell our heartfelt sympathies to Justin’s family and loved ones “said the promotion’s director.
Thornton competed in numerous MMA promotions before moving to fist fighting. It was not, however, a tremendously successful venture. His MMA record is at 8-16. In November 2020, he competed under the rules of MMA for the last time. At the time, he competed in Titan FC’s COO competition and lasted only one minute in a fight with Lex McMahon, which he won by submission.
The death of a fighter has heightened the debate regarding the significance of fist fighting in sports. Many times such promotions do not carefully choose opponents. One might be head above the other. One might spend a lot of time in kinky clubs, wasting time or drinking while the other one spends the whole time in the gym.
The tragedy at Bare Knuckle FC elicited a strong reaction. Many sportsmen spoke out, and UFC President Dana White did not hold back. He made no secret of his disdain for bare-knuckle boxing.
“First and foremost, is anyone surprised by this? I’m referring to bare-knuckle fighting. That does not sit well with me. In general, it irritates me to see our guys sign contracts with them.
Take a look at the numbers. We’ve been at odds for the past 25 years. I’ve coordinated over 7,000 fights in that period, and there hasn’t been a single significant injury in the UFC.
Every year, we spend more than $ 20 million on athlete care. Yes $20 million every year – for the fighters’ health and well-being. Our athletes see specialists in 25% of cases. If we do not receive a clear picture following the examination, we refer the athlete to another specialist. We spend money to determine what is wrong with the boxer.
This is the end outcome of my efforts. We have found ten fighters who have experienced life-threatening medical issues during the last 20 years. They were unable to fight. If they had not been in the UFC, they would have most likely been released into the ring and would have died.
We should not make comparisons between the UFC and fist fighting. These are two completely distinct worlds. Yes, we are deeply saddened by the news of the man’s death. However, other organizations are not as concerned about the fighters’ health as we are.” Dana White stated during a news conference.
