Mixed martial arts suffered its first death in a regulated event. Mixed martial arts has suffered its first death in a regulated event. Samuel Vasquez, 35, of Houston died Friday, Nov. 30, from injuries suffered during an Oct. 20 bout at Houston’s Toyota Center, according to various news reports.
Vasquez, fighting in only his third professional fight, suffered a third-round knockout loss to Vince Libardi during a Renegades Extreme Fighting card. He was taken from the ring by stretcher and was treated at the Saint Joseph Medical Center’s critical care unit before being transferred to a nearby hospice on Nov. 29. It’s the first death in the 14-year history of regulated MMA events in the United States. The only other reported death occurred in a non-regulated event in the Ukraine in 1998. Vasquez is survived by his wife, Sandra, and 7-year-old son.