Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a constant threat in the world of combat sports. A number of competitors in both MMA and boxing have died from TBIs in recent years; including Joao Carvalho who died after an MMA fight in Dublin in 2016, Tim Hague who died after a boxing match in Edmonton in 2017 and Patrick Day who died after a boxing match in Chicago earlier this month.
In combat sports TBIs are typically suffered due to a heavy impact to the head that causes the brain to violently impact the inside of the skull.