MMA News 2016: Heavyweight Fighter Dada 5000 Suffers Medical Scare After Brutal Knockout
Mixed martial arts fighter Dhafir Harris, more popularly known by his ring name "Dada 5000," suffered a major medical scare following his co-main event bout against fellow street fighter Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson on Friday night.
The bout took place in Houston, right before the third fight between UFC legends Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock. Dada was knocked out in the third round of their fight through one uppercut to the chin he got from Slice. He then stumbled face first to the mat, until the referee jumped in to put the fight to a halt.
In a report by Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting, Dada apparently fell into a more critical condition after the fight. Bleacher Report's Jeremy Botter had confirmed in the same report that Dada's heart stopped and he was subsequently placed on a ventilator.
The report also adds that while doctors were fearful of the worst possible outcome, Dada was able to make a recovery, but also suffered a fracture on his orbital bone. By the next morning, he was said to be in high spirits already, laughing and joking with family and friends.
The Harris family did release an official statement following the incident, where they clarified what had really happened to the 38-year-old professional mixed martial arts fighter.
"The doctors have now informed us that Dada had accumulated extremely high levels of potassium in his blood, which led to severe dehydration, fatigue and renal failure. The high potassium levels were likely caused by his 40lbs weight loss in preparation for the fight," an excerpt of the statement reads.
The family also expressed their gratitude towards Bellator FC CEO Scott Coker for the medical assistance they have provided. Raimondi adds that because of Dada's age, he had needed to provide the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration with EKG and EEG exams before he was cleared to fight.
He also pointed out that Dada still needed to cut weight to reach the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds.
