Pattaya expat, former boxing champion tragically dies from injuries suffered during Bangkok fight

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Pattaya expat, former boxing champion tragically dies from injuries suffered during Bangkok fight

 

Christian Daghio fighting Don Parueang on October 26. Image: screenshot - ทีเคโอ มวยโลก
 

An Italian man and former world champion in Muay Thai and boxing has tragically following a fight in Bangkok.

 

Christian Daghio, 49, died on Friday in hospital in Bangkok after being put in a coma due to injuries suffered during a WBC Asia title match against Don Parueang on October 26th.

 

Footage of the fight posted on YouTube showed Daghio being knocked out in the 12th round after taking multiple punches to the head and face. He could then be seen being treated by medical staff inside the ring before later being rushed to hospital.

 

Mr Daghio, who had over 200 professional fights, won seven world titles in Muay Thai and boxing.

 

He moved to Pattaya more than twenty years ago where he ran the Kombat Group training facility.

 

He had also spent time working as a volunteer for the Tourist Police, who paid tribute to Mr Daghio on their Facebook page.

 

 

Mr Daghio’s brother, Fabrizio, who was also his manager, said: “Christian died as he wanted to die, that is in the ring.

 

“He dreamed of fighting until he was 80 years old”, Fabrizio told Italian media.

 

Mr Daghio leaves behind his wife and five year old daughter.

 

News sites in Italy described Daghio as a “legend of Muay Thai”.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-11

 

[KittenKong]

In other news, Thai boxing professionals are complaining about a new law designed to keep under-12s out of the ring. It beggars belief really.

 

 

[HappyAndRich]

15 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

He dreamed of fighting until he was 80 years old”, Fabrizio told Italian media

He was 49 and already a too old fighter. I didn´t know that Muay Thai affected your age conclusion so you think you can fight until you die.

[mok199]

I guess this makes the latest cases for young muay thai boys fighting seem quite concerning

[Henrik Andersen]

42 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Christian Daghio, 49, died on Friday in hospital in Bangkok after being put in a coma due to injuries suffered during a WBC Asia title match against Don Parueang on October 26th

 

42 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

He dreamed of fighting until he was 80 years old”, Fabrizio told Italian media

Why someone not had try tell this man to retire before

Fighting make brain damage 

49 years old and still fighting sorry that is insane 

But you died as you want 

RIP 

[poanoi]

he died like he wanted and didnt have to go through the agony of aging,

good for him, the rest of us linger around for no good reason

[robusto]

Tons of expats move to Thailand because of combat sports. Many of them fight to old age, and very few of them die from it. People die in other sports too, if you stay in the ocean there's a chance you'll end up at the bottom of it, if you climb something you might fall down etc. I'd be more concerned with neurological injuries than actually dying from injuries.

[greenbottle555]

51 minutes ago, poanoi said:

he died like he wanted and didnt have to go through the agony of aging,

good for him, the rest of us linger around for no good reason

"everyone else should die at 49, but no not me <deleted> that."

[observer90210]

Sad and RIP..

 

Ban boxing !!....we are not any more in the dark ages ? Ironic how certain countries all over the world, ban dog fights, but allow humans to fight like dogs,  on a ring....

[sanemax]

23 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Sad and RIP..

 

Ban boxing !!....we are not any more in the dark ages ? Ironic how certain countries all over the world, ban dog fights, but allow humans to fight like dogs,  on a ring....

Humans have a choice , dogs do not .

[seahorse]

1 hour ago, poanoi said:

he died like he wanted and didnt have to go through the agony of aging,

good for him, the rest of us linger around for no good reason

Speak for yourself...

[overherebc]

Never understood and still don't why people want to spend time knocking the living snot out of each other and the vast majority of them end up brain damaged and broke while the managers and agents end up with most of the money. Are they a bit low on the brain cell count to start with or do the managers and agents know that eventually the boxers/fighters will end up with a skull full of cold porridge so will sign anything that they are asked to sign on a contract.?????

[Damrongsak]

Years ago at Chicago O'hare airport, I was scrambling from a flight to make a connection.  Almost bumped into a big guy.  Looked up, and it was Muhhamad Ali.  He was staring off into space, like a vegetable.

[pattayadude]

10 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Sad and RIP..

 

Ban boxing !!....we are not any more in the dark ages ? Ironic how certain countries all over the world, ban dog fights, but allow humans to fight like dogs,  on a ring....

I agree for boxing ban. However changing human behavior and its  interest in violence and violent sports might take a very very long time and maybe not even be possible as we are wired for violence. The day we stop killing one another might be the day boxing will be banned, but I wont bet 1 cent on that. here's a quote from a book to shed a better light on this.

 

“Our violence operates far outside the bounds of any other species.  Human beings kill anything.  Slaughter is a defining behavior of our species.  We kill all other creatures, and we kill our own.  Read today’s paper.  Read yesterday’s, or read tomorrow’s.  The enormous industry of print and broadcast journalism serves predominantly to document our killing.  Violence exists in the animal world, of course, but on a far different scale. 

Carnivores kill for food; we kill our family members, our children, our parents, our spouses, our brothers and sisters, our cousins and in-laws.  We kill strangers.  We kill people who are different from us, in appearance, beliefs, race, and social status.  We even kill ourselves! in suicide.  We kill for advantage and for revenge, we kill for entertainment:  the Roman Coliseum, drive-by shootings, bullfights, hunting and fishing, animal roadkill in an instantaneous reflex for sport.  We kill friends, rivals, coworkers, and classmates.  Children kill children, in school and on the playground.  Grandparents, parents, fathers, mothers--all kill and all of them are the targets of killing…”  -R. Douglas Fields, Why We Snap, p. 286, 2016. "

******************************************************************

 

R.I.P Mr Daghio

 

 

Edited November 4, 2018 by pattayadude

[Aussieroaming]

He died doing what he wanted and what he was passionate about...salute to him and RIP. He would have known fighting carried risks and he accepted that. 

[Borzandy]

13 hours ago, HappyAndRich said:

He was 49 and already a too old fighter. I didn´t know that Muay Thai affected your age conclusion so you think you can fight until you die.

Why not, you start when you born (or at 5 yo) and stop when you die.

[notamember]

13 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

 

Why someone not had try tell this man to retire before

Fighting make brain damage 

49 years old and still fighting sorry that is insane 

But you died as you want 

RIP 

''George Foreman at age 45, regained a portion of the heavyweight championship by knocking out 27-year-old Michael Moorer to win the unified WBA, IBF, and lineal titles. Foreman remains the oldest world heavyweight champion in history'' source Wiki

 

RIP Christian, better to be a lion for a day than a sheep for a lifetime

[ross163103]

13 hours ago, poanoi said:

the rest of us linger around for no good reason

Uhhhhhhh, my family might have a different opinion about that.

[Tchooptip]

13 hours ago, poanoi said:

he died like he wanted and didnt have to go through the agony of aging,

good for him, the rest of us linger around for no good reason

Maybe his five years old girl could have been a good reason? 

[Tom F]

Quote

 

I just read about the passing of Christian Daghio. I am shocked and very sad. I have known Christian for years. I trained in his gym in Huay Yai, outside of Jomtien, and before that when the gym was on Soi Kao Talo.

 

Christian was respected, admired and even beloved by the hundreds (maybe thousands) of farangs (from all over the world) and Thais that he trained and worked with. Serious martial artists from all over the world came to train in his gym.  So did people who were complete novices.  All were welcome.

 

Christian was a wonderful guy. Tough and strong, to be sure. He was also intelligent, easy-going, respectful, kind, gentle and had a great sense of humor. A gentleman, in every sense of the word. The grief that his family and friends are feeling right now is deep, profound and overwhelming.

 

Let me address those who feel some compulsion to criticize and denigrate. If you want to say that Christian was too old to still fight professionally, or that boxing should be outlawed entirely....fair enough. Although, I would suggest that common human decency would allow the man to rest in peace for a while.

 

For those who choose to attack or denigrate the man personally, I will resist my initial impulse to respond in anger. I will merely say that you know not of what you speak. In doing so, you are exhibiting a deficiency of character that compels some to claim great wisdom or knowledge about things that they actually know nothing about. While this is common enough, it is also quite sad, in its own way.

 

Any characterization of Christian Daghio as some washed-up, impoverished farang pug fighting for a few baht is both ludicrous and insulting. He was a successful and prosperous businessman. His “gym” is actually a large, all- inclusive training facility which also provides nice accommodations, dining, and training in a variety of martial arts. Don't take my word for that. Google “Kombat Group”, and see for yourself. For right or for wrong, Christian was in the ring for love of his sport, not out of economic necessity.

 

In closing, let me suggest the lesson that I think that Christian would offer: show some respect and common human decency. Let those who loved him grieve in peace.

 

[poanoi]

2 hours ago, ross163103 said:

Uhhhhhhh, my family might have a different opinion about that.

perhaps, perhaps not, i for one would have benefit

if my father had died when i was 5,

most parents sux a$$

Edited November 4, 2018 by poanoi

[hotchilli]

Good luck to this man, his life long passion was combat type sports & he made a later career from the training side of things, his wish was to remain actively fighting for as long as possible, he got his wish.
Better to die in the ring doing what he loved to do than under the wheels of a 10 wheeler in agony !!

[ross163103]

12 minutes ago, poanoi said:

if my father had died when i was 5,

most parents sux a$$

Not sure how to respond to this.......

[Time Traveller]

Full respect.....he was years older than me and still fighting in muay thai

[FitnessHealthTravel]

RIP Champ!

[crazykopite]

????????RIP????????

[joeyg]

6 hours ago, pattayadude said:

I agree for boxing ban. However changing human behavior and its  interest in violence and violent sports might take a very very long time and maybe not even be possible as we are wired for violence. The day we stop killing one another might be the day boxing will be banned, but I wont bet 1 cent on that. here's a quote from a book to shed a better light on this.

 

“Our violence operates far outside the bounds of any other species.  Human beings kill anything.  Slaughter is a defining behavior of our species.  We kill all other creatures, and we kill our own.  Read today’s paper.  Read yesterday’s, or read tomorrow’s.  The enormous industry of print and broadcast journalism serves predominantly to document our killing.  Violence exists in the animal world, of course, but on a far different scale. 

Carnivores kill for food; we kill our family members, our children, our parents, our spouses, our brothers and sisters, our cousins and in-laws.  We kill strangers.  We kill people who are different from us, in appearance, beliefs, race, and social status.  We even kill ourselves! in suicide.  We kill for advantage and for revenge, we kill for entertainment:  the Roman Coliseum, drive-by shootings, bullfights, hunting and fishing, animal roadkill in an instantaneous reflex for sport.  We kill friends, rivals, coworkers, and classmates.  Children kill children, in school and on the playground.  Grandparents, parents, fathers, mothers--all kill and all of them are the targets of killing…”  -R. Douglas Fields, Why We Snap, p. 286, 2016. "

******************************************************************

 

R.I.P Mr Daghio

 

 

I agree.  Drinking and driving should also be banned.

 

 

[Retiredandhappyhere]

14 hours ago, overherebc said:

Never understood and still don't why people want to spend time knocking the living snot out of each other and the vast majority of them end up brain damaged and broke while the managers and agents end up with most of the money. Are they a bit low on the brain cell count to start with or do the managers and agents know that eventually the boxers/fighters will end up with a skull full of cold porridge so will sign anything that they are asked to sign on a contract.?????

A famous Thai boxer said on TV a few weeks ago that she was in the sport to kill anyone they put in front of her.  Even allowing for the usual hyperbole, that was still a revealing and slightly startling statement, coming from the so-called gentler sex. 

[nauseus]

RIP Christian.

[Jonmarleesco]

18 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Thai boxing professionals are complaining about a new law designed to keep under-12s out of the ring.

One would assume the parents should be responsible for keeping them out of the ring. Unfortunately, where many parents are concerned, being responsible for their kids' welfare is too tall an order.