RUSSIAN BOXER DADASHEV SHOWING ‘SEVERE SIGNS OF BRAIN DAMAGE’, IN COMA AFTER 11TH ROUND TKO

The Russian-born, Oxnard, California-based light welterweight suffered a bleed on the right side of his brain underwent surgery to reduce swelling after a grueling meeting between two undefeated fighters, after which Puerto Rico’s Matias notched up his 14th-straight KO victory from as many fights.

Dadashev’s Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt pulled Dadashev out with a round to go after having shipped heavy punishment in the 11th, pleading with the St. Petersburg native to allow him to put a stop to proceedings at MGM National Harbor in Washington DC.

“God forbid, one punch as you know can change a whole guy’s life and I wasn’t going to let that happen. So I’d rather have them be mad at me for a day or two then to be mad at me for the rest of their life,” McGirt, himself a former light welterweight world champion, said after the fight.

According to the hospital where Dadashev underwent surgery, the boxer was showing severe signs of brain damage, but more information will be released only after his wife arrives in the US from Russia.

There has been some criticism over the decision to allow the 28-year-old to leave the ring under his own strength, given the volume of blows he had taken to the head and body prior to the stoppage, but his coach has been praised for having the foresight to throw in the towel.