What Is Subdural Hematoma, and Why Do Combat Sports Athletes Fall Victim to This Condition?

Combat sports and violence go hand in hand. Think about it, two trained combatants quite literally fight each other and beat the breaks off of one another. Meanwhile, as fans, we love to see flashy punches being thrown leading to stunning knockouts, and violence at its peak. However, this entertainment comes at a cost, and that is the fighter’s brain health.

Recently, the combat sports world has been garnering awareness about Subdural Hematoma, a serious condition. So without further ado, let’s dive right in to understand what is this condition, and how it has garnered awareness in the era of new combat sports organizations joining the ranks.

What is Subdural hematoma? Is it dangerous?

Subdural hematoma is not a condition to scoff at. It is a serious condition that deals with brain damage. Essentially, it deals with bleeding in the skull but outside the actual brain tissue. Needless to say, it is dangerous and it may lead to brain impairment or even death. However, most cases are not serious. Once the swelling subsides, the individual is seemingly out of danger.

Fighters are more susceptible to this condition since they get hit on the head multiple times during their match. According to the National Library of Medicine, this condition is the leading brain injury boxers suffer in their career, with 75% to be precise, and the majority of them become susceptible because of getting knocked out. The attention on subdural hematoma garnered attention after the recent BYB 22.

What happened to Mark “the Shark” Irwin?

Yesterday, a bare-knuckle fight took place between Mark “the Shark” Irwin and Julio Tanori-Rodriguez at BYB 22. Both competitors suffered and sustained heavy blows. However, Irwin became a victim of hematoma and started swelling up. Despite the injury mid-fight, the bare-knuckle boxer was resilient enough to fight on. The boxer was defeated via a decision. However, according to Mens Journal, his hematoma does not appear to be permanent but rather temporary.

That being said, it bears mention that given how grave his injury is, the recovery may take some time. Though, from such instances, we cannot say that this condition is strictly specific to Bare-knuckle fighting. It has been prevalent in all forms of traditional combat sports, including boxing.

Even in other disciplines, like MMA, this happens every so often. A Muay Thai fighter named George Mann suffered a massive Hematoma in his fight against Smokin’ Jo Nattawut at a championship event back in September 2021. However, the blame cannot be put on any specific organization or discipline of combat.

Evander Holyfield Vs. Hasim Rahman: Hematoma in the boxing ring

Back in 2002, a legendary heavyweight boxer, Evander Holyfield, had a title eliminator fight with none other than Hasim Rahman Sr. In their bout, Holyfield triumphed, but it was controversial. The bout was going just fine, with both combatants having their moments. However, things took a sudden change in the seventh round.

During the aforementioned round, Holyfield’s shaven dome collided with Rahman’s skull, to the extent that it caused Hematoma. It was quite a graphic sight to witness. The injury was so grave that the fight had to be stopped in the middle of the eighth round. Post the bout, the former heavyweight champion contended that the headbutt was completely unintentional.

Read more: Years After Suffering $222.5 Million Loss, Evander Holyfield Finally Opens Up About How He Built His 45,000 sq.ft. Castle While Making a Brutally Honest Confession