Ex-UFC fighter Tim Hague dead at 34 from injuries suffered in a boxing match
After Tim Hague submitted Pat Barry with a guillotine choke in the first round of their heavyweight match at UFC 98 in Las Vegas on May 23, 2009, he got up and immediately began crying tears of joy.
A little more than seven years later, tears flowed again among Hague’s family and many friends. He died on Father’s Day in a hospital in Edmonton as a result of injuries he sustained in a boxing match on Friday with Adam Braidwood.
A fourth-grade English teacher, Hague, 34, was stopped in the second round by Braidwood. It was Hague’s second consecutive loss by knockout in boxing. He lost four of his final five MMA bouts, all of which were by knockout.
Hague was knocked out by strikes on Aug. 29, 2015, March 4, 2016, April 15, 2016, and July 15, 2016, in MMA. In boxing, Hague was knocked out on Dec. 2, 2016, and then again on Friday.
That was six knockouts due to strikes in 22 months.
According to the Edmonton Journal, Hague suffered a brain hemorrhage during the fight with Braidwood on Friday. Hague’s sister, Jackie Neil, announced his death on Sunday.
It is with incredible sadness, sorrow and heartbreak to report that Tim has passed away today. He was surrounded by family, listening to his favorite songs. We will miss him with so greatly. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.
Hague was an easy-going guy who smiled often and was thrilled by his victory over Barry in his UFC debut. He was bleeding from the nose as he was interviewed by analyst Joe Rogan in the cage following his win.
“One thing about me is you’re never, ever going to see me quit,” Hague told Rogan following his win over Barry. “You can turn my face to mashed potatoes and I’m going to keep coming. I want to say I love my wife and baby boy.”
It is heartbreaking to watch that video now knowing what was to come for Hague.
He loved to compete and reached the pinnacle of his sport by getting to the UFC. He was 21-13 in MMA and 1-4 in boxing, though his career had taken a decided downward turn in the last two years.
Braidwood knocked Hague down four times in the first round, and finished it in the second. When Hague went down the final time, his head banged violently off the canvas. Hague was a last-minute replacement who took the fight when two other opponents fell out.
