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MMA fighter Joao Carvalho has died following injuries sustained at a cage fighting event in Dublin this weekend.

The Portuguese fighter complained that he was feeling ill after losing to Charlie Ward by TKO at the National Stadium and was taken to Beaumont Hospital, but passed away on Monday night.

Carvalho underwent emergency brain surgery, but his Vitor Nobrega team confirmed the sad news on Facebook that he passed away.

"The Nobrega team is here to confirm the passing of Joao Carvalho, which happened last night at Beaumont Hospital, in Dublin, at 21.35. It's with great consternation and sadness that we write these words, informing you that the athlete died after 48 hours in a critical state," the statement read.

"During the TEF-MMA event, which took place on Saturday at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin, during which all safety regulations were observed, and after a fight during which the referee followed all the rules, [Carvalho] was taken ill, around 20 minutes after the end of the fight.

"Still in the stadium, he was immediately helped by the medical team present and afterwards was quickly transported to Beaumont Hospital, where he underwent brain surgery. After that, he remained in a critical state for 48 hours until passing away on Monday.

"Despite the non-stop medical assistance given by staff at the event and at the hospital – who we thank for their support during these difficult moments – and despite knowing the risks of this sport, the death of Joao Carvalho was, in my view, a huge tragedy, which leaves his family and the Nobrega team, which was with him for his whole career, during which he stood out on a national and international level.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the family and to all the Nobrega Team."

(Image: Facebook/Nóbrega team)

Medical staff observed the post-fight protocol before Carvalho was taken to hospital, with the owner of organisers Eventmed Katarzyna Michlic telling SevereMMA that a doctor checked on the Portuguese between each round and he did not show any signs of being seriously hurt.

“The doctors checked him between each round and each time he gave a full response to them. He responded to each question. He was asked where he was, what round he was going in to and what day of the week it was, and all of his answers were perfect.

(Image: YouTube/IPC MMA)

“When the referee stopped the fight in the third round, our team of doctors and medics looked after him as he was bleeding quite heavily from his nose. He was asked if he felt any pain or was suffering with any headaches directly after the fight, and he said he had no pain or headaches, but he did feel quite tired.

(Image: YouTube/IPC MMA)

“It was explained to him that he had to visit the medical room that was set up in the venue and that he would have to go to the hospital afterwards, because the doctor recommended that he should have a CT scan after the fight. At this stage, the fighter was walking, talking and smiling. Everything seemed perfectly fine.

(Image: Facebook/Nóbrega team)

“After he walked back to the medical room the doctors did some tests backstage and there was nothing out of the ordinary about their results. They prepared the ambulance to take him to the hospital.

“Ten minutes later he started complaining that he was suffering from headaches. He felt a lot of nausea and he began to vomit. Five minutes later he was significantly worse so we got him into the ambulance and rang the hospital to let them know he was coming.”

(Image: Getty)

The Total Extreme Fighting 1 bout was the promotion's inaugural event and pitted Carvalho against Irish fighter Ward, a stable-mate of UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who believed the bout could have been stopped earlier.

“My teammate Charlie had a good win just there. Hell of a fight," he said. "Yer man took some big shots. Thought it could have been stopped a little earlier. I feel these referee’s need to be on the ball a little bit."McGregor did, however, pay tribute to the medical staff at the scene: “To see the way it’s all progressed, the regulations and everything, all the medical staff and everything. It’s proper now. To see this is great.”

Original video posted by sportsjoe.ie