Edmonton MMA fighter in critical condition after boxing match

UPDATE: Tim Hague has since died in hospital. Read our latest story here.

An MMA fighter is in critical condition after being knocked out in a boxing match in Edmonton on Friday.

Tim Hague was knocked out by Adam Braidwood in a fight at the Shaw Conference Centre. He was taken to hospital in critical condition. In the video, Braidwood is seen knocking Hague down multiple times.

Hague's family issued a statement Saturday and said he is with all his immediate family.

"He is in critical condition," the statement said. "We ask for prayers and privacy at this awful, unexpected time."

On Sunday morning, Hague's sister, Jackie Neil, said in a post on Facebook that he remains in critical condition.

"He hasn't been alone since this happened. He is receiving the absolute best care, and we are so appreciative of all the doctors and nurses," Neil said.

Hague, who fights out of Edmonton, also fought in the UFC. His nickname was "The Thrashing Machine" and he was cut from the UFC roster in 2011.

After his 2011 release, he wrote on his Facebook page that he needed time to heal from a concussion.

"I'm gonna take a little break away from MMA, let the brain heal from my concussion, and get the passion/fire back."

Hague's last fight before Friday's bout was in early April against Jared Kilkenny. He lost by TKO. 

'I'll fight anybody'

In videos posted to his Facebook page, Hague said the fight against Braidwood "is basically the moment I've been waiting for." 

He said Braidwood won a world championship in his last fight, and though the fight between the pair wouldn't be for the title, he was excited to battle a world champion.

Hague said Braidwood mentioned to him that he didn't have an opponent for his upcoming fight. With a few weeks' notice, Hague stepped up.

"I'm always game," he said in a video. "I'll fight anybody."

Hague made a series of videos promoting the fight, and was hoping for a strong turnout. 

"All I can say is that I hope everyone makes this fight because there's going to be something special going on," he said.

Clear mismatch, says fellow fighter

Ryan Ford, a fighter who has trained with Hague since 2008, was in the stands watching Friday night. He said the fight looked like a clear mismatch.

"[Braidwood] fights full-time," Ford told CBC News on Saturday. "Where Tim Hague is a school teacher and does this part-time, and it shows in the ring."

He said Hague was defending himself the entire fight — save for a few punches to Braidwood. "Right when I saw that, I was like, 'this guy does not want to be in here,' " he said.

Ford said he initially heard from friends Hague had died. After he posted condolences to his Facebook page, he said a family member told him Hague was still in critical condition.

"I hope he pulls through with this," Ford said.

He said he and Hague weren't close friends, but they knew each other well because of Edmonton's boxing community.

Still, Ford said Hague appeared to look ill-trained for his fight against Braidwood is a lesson in itself.

"This is something that, you know, people train hard for," he said. "They've been calling this the hurt business for some time."