LAS VEGAS -- Boxer Martin Sanchez of Mexico died a day after he was knocked out in a super lightweight bout by Rustam Nugaev of Russia.
The 26-year-old fighter died Saturday at Valley Hospital Medical Center, hospital marketing director Gretchen Papez told The Associated Press on Sunday.
She said federal regulations prevented her from discussing specifics, and she referred further questions to Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission. A call to Ratner was not immediately returned.
Sanchez was knocked out at 2:09 of the ninth round Friday night by a straight right in a bout televised on ESPN Deportes at The Orleans. He had been bleeding from the nose and mouth but did not appear seriously injured as he left the ring.
Sanchez left the ring under his own power, even waving to the crowd and blowing a kiss when he was met with applause.
Two physicians who examined Sanchez after the fight were satisfied he was fine, Ratner told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A short time later Sanchez was seen walking strangely and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery, the paper added.
"It's just a tragedy and something you never want to have to deal with," Ratner told the paper. "We're all devastated and shocked by this. I'm satisfied that we followed every one of our procedures to give him the best care we could, but to have this still happen, it really hurts."
Sanchez, who had a 13-10 record with 10 knockouts, won the early rounds of the scheduled 10-round bout but Nugaev took over by the third.
The boxing death is the fifth in Nevada since 1994. The previous one involved Pedro Alcazar, who collapsed and died two days after being stopped by Fernando Montiel on June 22, 2002.
