The “biggest fight in sporting history” between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ended with a technical knockout favouring Mayweather, and many fans were frustrated with the inconclusive finish. But one prominent sports doctor believes that the referee was right to end the match and that McGregor may have suffered a serious injury during the fight.
McGregor, an MMA fighter who’s currently the UFC Lightweight Champion, had never boxed professionally before he took on Mayweather. Although boxing and MMA fighting is similar, boxing does not allow the holds and elbows that MMA does, putting McGregor at a disadvantage against undefeated boxing world champion Mayweather.
McGregor, who has never boxed professionally before, was a fine doctor Revealed the Reason Why Mayweather Versus McGregor until the tenth round when he became “wobbly and floaty.” At this point, referee Robert Byrd opted to call an end to the match, giving Mayweather the win. Afterward, McGregor was frustrated at Byrd’s decision to take him out of the match, claiming that the dizziness was just normal fight fatigue.
But Darragh O’Carroll, former ringside doctor, disagrees. He believes that the dizziness was actually a sign of minor TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).
In his post on the subject, he mentions that TBI can cause ataxia (dizziness and loss of balance), whereas regular fatigue typically doesn’t.
Loss of balance in TBI occurs because of damage to the cerebellum, a little area at the back of the brain.
It’s often a casualty of concussion and TBI because it’s right at the back of the brain, meaning that it’s likely to smack up against the back of the skull if the head takes a hit.
If McGregor really did receive a TBI, the referee was right to be cautious. In July, former UFC fighter Tim Hague died after taking a knockout, likely due to resulting brain damage.
And, as O’Carroll mentions, continuing the fight with a minor TBI could have led to ongoing brain damage. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain disease caused by repetitive brain trauma, can lead to memory loss, confusion, and impaired judgment.
CTE is common in athletes like footballers and boxers because of the high-contact nature of their profession, and it often results in premature dementia or suicide.
So even though O’Carroll is a McGregor fan, he’s happy with the ref’s decision. “Byrd did an excellent job by stopping the fight when he did, as I’m certain the ringside physician and all members of the Association of Ringside Physicians would agree.”
