S.C. death won't stop MMA fights in Myrtle Beach tonight

Before every Carolina Fight Promotions mixed martial arts event, Jay Dennis prays that nobody gets seriously hurt.

"We want everybody to be able to fight again and go to work the next day," said Dennis, of Georgetown, the fight coordinator for CFP, which is staging tonight's Sun Fest Fight Series No. 2 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. "You don't want anybody to get hurt, but you know people are trying to hurt you. We're not playing chess. It's like any other contact sport."

So far, Dennis' prayers have been answered. He said the worst injuries suffered by fighters in more than a dozen CFP events in the past two years are along the lines of bad cuts, concussions and hyperextensions. "Nothing they couldn't recover from," Dennis said.

Michael Kirkham wasn't so lucky. The 30-year-old from Gaston died from a brain hemorrhage following his MMA pro debut June 26 in the "Confrontation at the Convocation Center" event at the USC Aiken Convocation Center, an event promoted by Dash Entertainment and King MMA of Columbia.

His death is just the second attributed to injuries suffered in a sanctioned mixed martial arts event in North America - Sam Vasquez died several weeks after a bout in Houston in October 2007 - and it comes less than a year after MMA bouts were legalized by the South Carolina legislature.

The inherent hazards are realized by every fighter who enters the cage, and they haven't slowed a sport that has gained popularity throughout the United States for the past several years.

"It is unfortunate a guy got killed, but people die doing everyday things. You never know," said Nissen Osterneck of Myrtle Beach, who is fighting for the CFP middleweight championship in tonight's main event. "If he's anything like me, he died doing what he loved doing, and that's something we have to live with in this business.

"It's not going to hinder me from competing and following my dream. I'm going to take calculated risks because martial arts is my passion and that's how I make my living so I enjoy it."

Kirkham had last fought 63 days before the fateful night, losing by technical knockout on April 24 in his final amateur bout. He was then placed on the standard 30-day medical suspension with no head contact in training following a knockout.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton said the autopsy did not show signs of a pre-existing injury or condition that contributed to Kirkham's death.

Kirkham's opponent was Carlos Iraburo, who was also making his pro debut. Iraburo wrestled Kirkham, known as "Tree" for his lanky 6-foot-9, 155-pound frame, to the mat and delivered several punches before the bout was stopped by the referee just 22 seconds after the opening bell.

Because the fight was so short, Kirkham likely took much less punishment than other fighters that night.

"Nothing happened to that guy that could have been prevented. It was just an accident," Dennis said. "Think about how many people get hurt playing football, get their neck broken or killed. There have been two people killed in MMA over 15 years. It's not very common."

The state legislature changed a law in 2009 to allow amateur MMA bouts, and the South Carolina Athletic Commission legalized professional fights at the start of the year. The athletic commission enforces licensing and regulations for boxing, wrestling and MMA matches in the state.

The fights are being sanctioned by the International Sport Karate Association, however, rather than the state commission, which wanted bodies familiar with MMA to sanction events and handle details including cage setup, referee assignments and equipment. ISKA was among the sanctioning groups approved by the commission following presentations last year.

Kirkham's bout is under review for the athletic commission. The staff of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which supports the commission, is reviewing the fight and will share the findings with the commission at a meeting that is expected in the next month but has yet to be scheduled."We're reviewing all of the policies and procedures and the events of that evening just to ensure all the policies and procedures were followed," said Jim Knight, a spokesperson for both the athletic commission and labor department.

ISKA president Cory Schafer is confident all regulations were followed and enforced. "I know my staff and the staff of the state athletic commission saw that everything was in compliance with the regulations," Schafer said.

Aiken Standard reporter Karen Daily, who wrote about Kirkham's death and has written several follow-up articles, said there has not been significant public outcry in the community targeting the death or the sport, though a memorial fund has been established for Kirkham's family, which includes a fiancee and five children.

Iraburo is distraught over Kirkham's death, though Kirkham's father, Dennis Kirkham, wrote in a letter to the Standard that he doesn't hold Iraburo or South Carolina responsible for his son's death.

South Carolina's MMA regulations aren't the most stringent in the U.S., but they are more thorough than many states, according to Schafer. ISKA has regulated martial arts and combat sports for 24 years, including current Strikeforce MMA events on Showtime and CBS, and events on six continents and in 60 countries. It regulates fights in most states where MMA is approved.

"Compared to all the other states, [South Carolina is] right smack in the middle of what is required," Schafer said. "All their safety measures are very acceptable by the [national] Association of Boxing Commissions compared to most states."

The S.C. Athletic Commission requires that all professional MMA fighters submit an original or certified lab report indicating that the competitor is HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C negative within two weeks of a fight. Also, the fighter must complete an eye exam and have a physical performed by a physician.

Carolina Fight Promotions conducts its own physicals prior to weigh-ins the night before a fight, and there are two trauma surgeons and a plastic surgeon ringside during all bouts.

South Carolina is more strict than most states when it comes to regulations for fighters 35 and older. They are required to submit a CT scan or MRI to the athletic commission 72 hours before being licensed.

Physicals, though not blood tests or eye exams, are required of amateurs, but they use 7-ounce gloves compared to 4-ounce gloves for pros, and can't elbow or knee to the head. Traditional boxing gloves are a minimum of 8 ounces. All MMA competitors wear a mouthpiece and protective groin cup.

Schafer applauds the state for the enforcement of its regulations. "They leave no room but for 100 percent compliance," Schafer said. "You can have all the requirements in the world, but if you don't regulate it, it doesn't matter."

What isn't required in South Carolina but is required of pros in a few states are more in-depth medical tests and procedures. They may include tests to identify steroids or performance-enhancing drugs, an EKG test of the heart, EEG test of the brain, CT scan, MRI, blood clotting test, chest x-ray and test for tuberculosis. Those tests can be expensive, and states requiring some of them include Nevada, New Jersey and California, which host high-revenue productions such as Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

There are also many states that have little or no regulation of MMA events, leaving it up to promoters - who can have motives other than the safety of fighters, including ticket sales - to regulate their own events.

"A regulatory body or commission's first responsibility is to guarantee safety of the competitors and spectators," Schafer said. "The promoter shouldn't be the one making those final decisions. His agenda is different and he looks at it differently."

Regardless of the stringency and enforcement of regulations, Schafer doesn't expect Kirkham's death will be the final one in MMA, particularly with the expected continued growth of the sport. He said ISKA sanctioned 400 events last year.

"As the sport grows there are so many people in it, it's just one of those things that it's a numbers thing," Schafer said. "You hate to look at it that way, but it's going to happen if you have that many people participating in an activity."