Douglas Dedge
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Douglas Dedge (June 18, 1966 – March 18, 1998) was an American
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
who was the first known American competitor to be fatally injured in an MMA fight and the first death in the modern era of professional MMA.


Death

The fatal bout occurred at the International Super Challenge in
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine, on March 16, 1998, against Yevgeni Zolotarev. Dedge attempted a takedown but was
mounted Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...
and took 14 punches to the head before tapping out. He stood up after the fight but almost immediately collapsed and died two days later from severe brain injuries at the Kiev Institute of Neurosurgery. Friends later said they witnessed Dedge black out during training for the fight.Meltzer, Dave, ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', March 30, 1998, pp. 1-2. The limited-rules event was billed as a "Ukraine Against the World" contest and drew about 4,000 spectators. To field the opposition, labeled the "World Team," promoters circulated invitations on the Internet that guaranteed potential competitors travel and stay expenses, as well as $2,000 for fighting and an additional $3,000 to win. Dedge was one of three American fighters on the show. In the immediate aftermath of Dedge's death,
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
co-founder
Art Davie Art Davie (born April 5, 1947) is a business executive and entrepreneur formerly active in Southern California advertising circles. In 1993, he created and co-produced the tournament which became the televised Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 19 ...
, who had been fired by the organization at the end of 1997, wrote a letter to UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz (also sent to MMA opponent Senator
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
) asking him to "reconsider" the promotion of MMA in light of the Dedge incident. Davie had just become affiliated with kickboxing promotion
K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...
and became vice-president of K-1 USA.
Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist, author, and historian who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter' ...
in the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' commented that Davie's motives for writing the letter "can and will be questioned greatly." Meyrowitz, speaking for the UFC, said the death was "an example of why we have been asking for regulation of this sport by athletic commissions in the U.S. as well as internationally." The German industrial project KiEw used samples from a report about Dedge's death in their song ''Feierabend in Kiew'' (closing time in Kiew).


Personal life

Dedge was from
Chipley, Florida Chipley is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Florida, United States, located between Tallahassee, Florida, Tallahassee and Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola. Its population was 3,660 in the 2020 census, up from 3,605 at the 2010 ce ...
, and had founded an MMA school in
Enterprise, Alabama Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee County, Alabama, Coffee County and the southwestern part of Dale County, Alabama, Dale County in Southeastern Alabama, United States. Its population was 28,711 at the 2020 United States cen ...
. He was married and had five children.


See also

*
Fatalities in mixed martial arts contests As of 2023, there have been twenty recorded deaths resulting from sanctioned mixed martial arts contests and nine from unregulated bouts, none however in the largest MMA promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship. A 2006 study suggests that the risk ...


References


External links


Sherdog Fight Finder
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dedge, Douglas 1966 births 1998 deaths American male mixed martial artists Sport deaths in Ukraine Filmed deaths in sports 20th-century American sportsmen