![]() But the chaotic lack of planning at UNLV and beyond, and the potentially lifelong consequences of brain trauma, are shining a glaring light on why and how young men continue to risk their health in testosterone-driven displays of brute force. Through it all, fatalities have been exceedingly rare, just as they are in professional boxing. ![]() You can find similar examples across the country, and these amateur boxing matches have been happening for decades, becoming milestone events in the fraternity calendar for houses like UNLV’s Kappa Sigma.įresno State Sigma Chi’s 2014 Fight Night Then there’s Sigma Chi Fight Night at the University of Texas, a sanctioned event that’s entering its 29th iteration this year and has raised “hundreds of thousands” for philanthropic causes. But it won’t make a difference at dozens of other American universities that hold long-standing amateur boxing and MMA events, which are often used as charitable fundraisers and draw a lot of attention from the Greek community.Ī University of Georgia event this fall raised more than $20,000 and drew 1,500 fans to see sorority girls and frat brothers swinging for the fences in three-round bouts. Valencia’s death will likely mark the end of such events, and the Kappa Sigma fraternity has been suspended while the Nevada State Athletic Commission investigates how the fight was held in the first place. They also claim there were no medical personnel on site, despite a history of participants being knocked unconscious at previous unsanctioned “UNLV Fight Night” events. Although emergency medics responded quickly, the Valencia family’s lawyers have alleged that the Fight Night referee was unlicensed and untrained, and additionally was drinking beer throughout the evening. The 9-1-1 call for Valencia indicates that he collapsed suddenly, while a different part of the crowd was getting riled into a drunken fistfight. And then during Nathan’s fight, you could see that he was just trying to get away to catch a breath,” Valencia’s girlfriend, Lacey Foster, told KTNV. I remember in one of the fights, someone’s headgear fell off. “ I walked in there, I just had a really weird feeling. Multiple accounts from eyewitnesses suggested a lack of proper protocols and leadership for the “Fight Night” event, including ill-fitting safety gear and limited oversight as to how competitors were feeling. It was obvious what killed him - but the aftermath has left UNLV students, fraternity leaders and parents scrambling for signs that this could’ve been prevented. After the bell rings, you see Valencia stumbling out of the center of the ring before the announcement of the winner.įour days later, Valencia died in the hospital after struggling with brain injuries and internal bleeding. With only a few moments left in the match, the 20-year-old shuffles around, unable to throw a punch. But the ref stands there, staring, unwilling to step in. This is a crucial juncture in the match: Valencia, overwhelmed with strikes, turns his back and runs to another corner of the ring. In the third, however, it’s obvious that Valencia is exhausted - at one point, he eats 13 consecutive punches without landing one of his own. The momentum keeps shifting during the first two rounds, with both Valencia and Aleman seeming to have the upper hand for brief moments. ![]() There’s not a single body shot to be found - just head hunting, over and over again. ![]() In a recording of the fight, their lack of technique is obvious: Both fighters swing wildly, seemingly trying to decapitate the other with as few haymakers as possible. But the two donned headgear and gloves, then strode to the center of the ring to begin a brawl over three rounds, lasting three minutes each. Valencia and Aleman had no formal boxing experience. Eight fights had already unfolded, and Valencia was the crux to a grand finale for the charitable event. He was representing UNLV fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon against Emmanuel Aleman of Kappa Sigma, which was hosting the “Fight Night” event on November 19th. By the time 20-year-old Nathan Valencia stepped into the ring, the small but vocal crowd at the Sahara Event Center in Las Vegas was riled up, eager for the main event of the evening. ![]()
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