Combat sports can be extremely dangerous! A recent incident iterated this once again. A young Chinese immigrant in Canada, who was pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia, is now in coma after participating in a kickboxing event.

The incident took place on October 14, 2023 and left Lei Zhenhuan with life-threatening brain injuries. Erik Magraken, a Canadian combat sports regulatory lawyer took to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about the situation. “Zhenhuan signed up for what was advertised as a light-contact kickboxing tournament. Multiple bouts were had that same day, and shortly following his last bout, he lost consciousness and fell very ill. He was taken to hospital… subdural hematoma was diagnosed, that’s bleeding inside of the skull. It’s a very dangerous thing. It’s often fatal. Emergency surgery was attempted,” Magraken shared.

However, it has been three months since surgery but the athlete is still in a vegetative state. “He’s in a coma.” Magraken further revealed how Lei Zhenhuan doesn’t have any family in Canada. His mother flew in from China to take care of him. But the treatment expenses are huge. While the family has been pondering over taking Lei Zhenhuan back to China, the finances need to be sorted because it might cost them over $100,000. Hence, Erik Magraken pleaded social media users to donate whatever they can on the GoFundMe page that was created for him.

Zhenhuan is currently hospitalized at Royal Columbian Hospital. It is unclear if or when he will regain consciousness. Hence, the family is looking toward long-term healthcare.

As per Lei Zhenhuan’s GoFundMe page, Canadian public insurance is in use for his hospital needs. But soon, he might need to be transferred to long-term care and that’s where private funding may pay for better care. Unfortunately, such life-threatening injuries are not unheard of in combat sports.

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Conor McGregor’s teammate suffers a career-ending injury!

Just a few days ago, Ryan ‘Chaos’ Curtis, a professional MMA fighter from Conor McGregor’s gym, suffered an injury. As he was training for his upcoming fight at Cage Conflict 12, he broke his back and neck. A GoFundMe page was started to help with the financial part of his recovery. As per reports, McGregor has donated £25,000 (around $31,800) for his friend’s treatment.

The Irish fighter was devastated as he wrote, “Very sad news on Curta. The game isn’t worth the risk. Truth we don’t want to speak on. Thank God for your little family Curta keep them tight and God bless brother, get better you will!”

Similarly, Prichard Colon, a boxer, faced a career-ending injury that resulted in a coma in 2015. He faced Terrel Williams and lost by DQ. However, after the bout, he collapsed in the dressing room. Many speculated that this was the result of multiple blows to the back of his head which went unnoticed by the referee. The boxer later fell into a coma that lasted 221 days.

In 2021, it was revealed that a fragment of his skull was pressing against his brain. So an immediate surgery was done. As per reports, his health is now stable. But he is in a state of post-coma unresponsiveness.

Also Read: “The Game Isn’t Worth the Risk” – Paralyzed After Breaking His Neck, Conor McGregor’s Training Partner’s Tragedy Brings UFC Star to a Confession