ONE Championship's Yang Jian Bing dies after weight cut for event

Yang Jian Bing

Yang Jian Bing, a 21-year-old fighter who was scheduled to compete today at ONE Championship 35, has died after his weight cut for the event.

ONE Championship officials today announced his passing.

Bing (5-1), a Chinese fighter who started his career on a 5-0 run before a June split-decision loss to Ze Wu in a ONE Championship tournament, was scheduled to fight fellow flyweight Geje Eustaquio (6-4) at today’s “Spirit of Champions” event in the Philippines.

However, officials canceled the bout when Yang struggled to make weight prior to Thursday’s weigh-ins. He never officially weighed in for the event.

In a Facebook post, Eustaquio said his opponent “was rushed to the hospital due to dehydration and possible heat stroke.”

Just prior to the start of today’s event, ONE Championship CEO Victor Cui posted a Facebook update and stated the “cause of death is still being determined” but that the organization will “work closely with the family and offer all the support they need in any way we can.”

Soon after, the organization released an official statement, without mentioning the fighter’s weight cut.

The ONE Championship (ONE) family suffered a tragic loss when Chinese flyweight Yang Jian Bing passed away on 11 December 2015 at 12.06 PM due to cardiopulmonary failure. The formal hospital medical reports and procedures are still being carried out. He was 21 years old.

Yang, a native of China was hospitalized at the San Juan De Dios Hospital in Pasay, Philippines, after a sudden collapse on the morning of 10 December 2015.

At the hospital, Yang received the best medical care possible while ONE officials continuously updated his family directly from his hospital bedside.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui said, “There is nothing more profoundly tragic and sad than when a member of the ONE Championship family, current or past, passes away. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Yang Jian Bing. We will work closely with the family and offer all the support they need in any way we can during this very difficult time.”

Cui added, “I want to thank all sports fans around the world for their concern, thoughts and prayers. At this time, we appreciate everyone respecting the Yang family’s privacy as they mourn the loss of their beloved son and brother.”

Yang competed in the ONE Flyweight Division and his last bout for ONE was on 20 June 2015 and he was scheduled to compete on the card of ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS in Manila on 11 December.

Weight-cutting has long been a staple in the sport, and some drastic cuts have resulted in canceled bouts, hospitalizations and even contributed to a few deaths over the years.

While the exact cause of Yang’s death is still being determined, his tragic story is likely to reignite the debate about weight-cutting in MMA and the need for more safety protocols.

For more on ONE Championship 35, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.