It's "like an underground fighter club."

After participating in a charity bout of boxing, a University of Nevada Las Vegas student died.

Nathan Valencia, 20 years old, collapsed moments after leaving the ring at the Sahara Event Center's 'Kappa Sigma Fight Night.' On November 19,

Valencia, who had just finished the last fight, was taken to the hospital by doctors. There, they discovered that she had internal bleeding and brain damage.

He died four days later, just days before his 21st birthday.

Friends and family have criticised the amateur event, saying there was no professional referee.

KLAS released a statement by family lawyers saying that "our preliminary investigation reveals errors were made and safety precautions were overlooked".

"We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine UNLV's and Kappa Sigma Fraternity's ability to allow and promote such an event."

"College students shouldn't be put in a position where they are pitted against one another for combat. "Kappa Sigma Fight Night" is an annual event, well-known to UNLV and the national Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

"We will not leave any stone unturned in our efforts to determine how a 20-year-old ended up in an amateur fight sanctioned by school that cost him his life."

Joe Castro, Valencia's long-time friend, told the outlet that the event was "like an underground fighter club."

He said, "I did not see any doctors or medical care."

Castro claimed that Castro was the one who caused the brawl after his friend fell. He said that all the other members were doing their own thing, while Nathan was in the ring "like laying there." It was absurd.

Lacey Foster, Valencia's girlfriend, told The Sun that she saw Valencia "just trying to escape to catch a breathe" during the fight.

She said, "Once you walked in there, it was like a strange feeling."

Foster stated that Foster was taken away by his parents and they told him they would do their best, but didn't know if it was possible.

UNLV President Richard Whitfield sent an email to staff and students, stating that the university was "committing every available resource to review the incident to determine how off-campus activities like these can be as safely as possible."

He wrote that he felt deep sadness and a heavy heart when he learned that a UNLV member had passed away.

"Nathan Tyler Valencia died following a tragic accident that occurred a week ago. Nathan, a UNLV junior, had participated in Kappa Sigma Fraternity’s "Fight Night," an off-campus fundraising event.

"Nathan collapsed shortly after his fight and was taken to the hospital. We are shocked and saddened by the loss of one our family members.

GoFundMe has raised $50k. It states that Valencia was an "active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon UNLV" and had "so much love for his chapter".

Since Valencia's death, Valencia's organs were donated to eight recipients.

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Title: Nevada Student Dies After Charity Boxing Match
Sourced From: toofab.com/2021/11/28/nevada-student-dies-after-charity-boxing-match/
Published Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2021 18:47:02 +0000

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