UNLV student dies after fighting in fraternity boxing match

A 20-year-old UNLV pupil died days aft helium stepped into a ringing for a foundation boxing lucifer organized by a school-sanctioned fraternity, his household said done its attorneys connected Friday.

Nathan Valencia collapsed soon aft his Nov. 19 bout and died successful a hospital, wherever helium had been taken for injuries related to the fight, Las Vegas lawyer Nick Lasso said.

“The Valencia household is heartbroken implicit the nonaccomplishment of Nathan,” work the family’s statement, released by Lasso and Ryan Zimmer, some from the Richard Harris Law Firm.

Lasso said nary aesculapian professionals were contiguous until paramedics were summoned aft Valencia’s collapse.

He said the Metropolitan Police Department was investigating the death.

Representatives from UNLV, the fraternity’s section section and its nationalist affiliate could not instantly beryllium reached for comment.

Valencia died Tuesday, according to a GoFundMe run organized successful his name.

The amateur event, “Fight Night,” promoted by UNLV’s Kappa Sigma fraternity, took spot astatine the Sahara Event Center, 800 E. Karen Ave., according to the organization’s Instagram account, which listed Valencia arsenic warring successful the “Main Event.”

“Our preliminary probe reveals mistakes were made and information precautions overlooked. We volition beryllium completing a afloat probe to find however UNLV and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity could let and beforehand an lawsuit similar this to instrumentality place,” the Valencia household said successful its statement. “College students should not beryllium placed successful a concern wherever they are pitted against each different for combat. ‘Kappa Sigma Fight Night’ is an lawsuit that has been held annually and was good known to some UNLV and the nationalist Kappa Sigma Fraternity. We volition permission nary chromatic unturned to find however a 20 twelvemonth aged ended up successful a school-sanctioned amateur combat that outgo him his life.”

Although the fights took spot extracurricular UNLV, a weigh-in occurred astatine a UNLV ballroom 2 days prior, according to the fraternity’s Instagram account.

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez astatine rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him connected Twitter @rickytwrites.