An MMA fighter died at the age of 16 after being hit by a spinning wheel kick.

The incident occurred after a judge allowed the teenager to fight without a helmet in Russia.

Russian regulations require all participants under the age of 18 to wear a helmet to participate.

The rules state that MMA amateurs in this discipline must wear a helmet between the ages of 16 and 18.

Despite safety regulations, reports suggest that the 16-year-old boy was allowed to compete without protective headgear.

The boy was participating in the Open MMA Cup of the Rodina Sports Club at the time of the incident. The incident was captured on video and has since been widely circulated online.

Footage of the incident show the moment when the opponent executed a spinning head kick, which caused the boy to fall to the ground and lose consciousness.

Tragic news from Russia.

In Amur Region 16-year-old MMA fighter died from a spinning wheel kick.

According to the rules, all underage participants were required to compete with helmets. However, the judge allowed the boy to fight without it. pic.twitter.com/FaHZiHTWzX

— Fedor’s nephew (@FdrNphw) June 4, 2023

The incident has raised concerns about the safety of children participating in combat sports such as MMA.

It remains to be seen what measures will be taken to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

The MMA Union of Russia and the Authorities are conducting an investigation into the incident to determine what happened.

The child’s death has sparked an outpouring of condolences and support from people on social media.