Boxer Hugo Santillan Dies at Age 23 from Injuries Suffered in Fight
Argentinian boxer Hugo Santillan died Thursday from injuries suffered in a split-decision draw with Eduardo Javier Abreu on Saturday at the Club Atletico San Nicolas in Argentina. He was 23.
TMZ Sports reported Santillan twice went through cardiorespiratory failure before his death and provided a statement from a doctor who treated him.
"Upon admission to the hospital, he had successive kidney failures and he did not come out of his coma," the doctor said. "He had swelling of his brain and he never recovered consciousness. The swelling continued to worsen and it affected the functioning of the rest of his organs."
Santillan collapsed during the announcement of the result from the WBC Latino Silver Lightweight Title fight and subsequently underwent emergency surgery for a blood clot on his brain, per TMZ.
The super lightweight, nicknamed Dinamita, made his professional debut in September 2015.
He posted a 19-6-2 record with eight knockouts across 27 career fights. He was undefeated through his first 13 bouts.
Santillan becomes the second boxer to die from injuries suffered during a fight in the past three days.
Maxim Dadashev of Russia died Tuesday after suffering brain injuries in a loss to Subriel Matias on Friday in Maryland. He was 28.
