MANILA, Philippines — Boxer Karlo Maquinto, who collapsed after an eight-round fight that ended on a draw last Jan. 28 in Caloocan City, died at 10:15 a.m. on Friday at the FEU Hospital in Fairview, Quezon City.

Maquinto, undefeated in six fights, was brought to the hospital after passing out at ring center shortly after the official announcement was made and lapsed into a coma.

Referee Eddie Nobleza had just raised the hand of Maquinto and that of his foe, Mark Joseph Costa when his knees buckled and he had to be dragged to his corner by his handlers where he began losing consciousness.

Costa had scored two knockdowns early in the fight but the Iloilo-born Maquinto gamely fought back to salvage a draw in the match that took place at the Recom Dome in Amparo Subdivision in Caloocan City.

Doctors ruled out operating on the 21-year-old Maquinto owing to the severity of his condition and his family was with him when he passed away after days of vigil.

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) boxing division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz said there was nothing unusual during the fight that could have prompted the assigned physician at that time—Redentor Viernes—to put a stop to the fight.

“It was an accident,” said Cruz.

Before Maquinto’s passing, the last Filipino fighter to die of head injuries was Lito Sisnorio, who succumbed in Bangkok in April 2007 after being knocked out by former world champion Chatchai Sasakul.

Since the 1980s, there have been a number of ring fatalities involving Filipino boxers here and abroad.

In 1982, flyweight prospect Andy Balaba died days after being stopped by Shin Hi Sup in Seoul.

The last twenty years, among the ring-related deaths recorded were those of Macky Silvano, Roger Espinelli, Eugene Barutag, Mateo Baring, Eman Juarez, Ferdie Gimay and Maruel Zayas.

Deaths are not confined in obscure non-title or regional title fights on local soil.

In the 1960s, Cuban welterweight Benny ‘Kid’ Paret was brutally knocked out by Emille Griffith and died several days later after their title match. The same thing happened when US fighter Davey Morre was beaten by Ultiminio ‘Sugar’ Ramos of the Dominican Republic in a world featherweight championship match.

The 1980s also had its share of deaths and marred by the drastic reduction of world title fights from the original 15 rounds to just 12 rounds after the death of Korean Duk Koo Kim at the hands of Ray ‘Boom Bomm’ Mancini. Other notable deaths were those of Johnny Owen against world bantam champion Lupe Pintor and Kiko Bejines against Albert Davila.

Former world champion Gerry Peñalosa, the promoter-on-record of the fight in partnership with Caloocan Mayor Recom Echiverri and GMA-7, said he will extend financial help to the family of Maquinto.