Heavyweight Ardi Ndembo, of Congo, has reportedly died after being put into an induced coma following a knockout in Team Combat League competition April 5 in Miami.
On Thursday night, Viva Promotions posted an update to its X account that read: “We at Viva Promotions mourn the loss of Ardi Ndembo, a talented Congolese boxer who tragically passed away after a knockout in a Team Combat League match on April 5. He remained in an induced coma until his untimely death. RIP Ardi Ndembo!”
Ndemobo, a 27-year-old from Brazzaville, Congo, was a father of two who had been competing for the Miami Assassins of the TCL. He was knocked out by Nestor Santana of the Las Vegas Hustle and, according to Marca, remained unconscious on the canvas for “several agonizing minutes.”
Ndembo was moved to a Miami hospital shortly after being felled, and a GoFundMe campaign to benefit his children was later organized by Team Combat League, which promised to match all donations up to $25,000.
Jeff Mayweather, coach of the Las Vegas Hustle and uncle to Floyd Mayweather Jr., told SunSport: “Boxing’s a sport where you grow up watching it and loving it, but there’s so much risk involved.
“Anyone can lose their life from boxing. When something like this happens, it wakes up the whole entire world.”
Ndemobo was 8-0, with 7 KOs, in official competition.
Credit: Boxing Scene