Ex-UFC fighter James Vick was unconscious for 'a couple of days' after recent knockout but still wants to fight again



Former UFC standout James Vick was unconscious for at least two days and was put on a ventilator following a recent loss, according to his promoter.

The news comes months after a June 2024 fight in which Vick was viciously knocked out by a jumping switch-kick to the face in the newer Karate Combat league. Karate Combat incorporates most aspects of mixed martial arts except grappling.

On a recent episode of the "Jaxxon Podcast," the hosts replayed the Vick knockout alongside Karate Combat President Asim Zaidi. The hosts remarked that the clip was seen by over 100 million viewers and is likely one of the most circulated MMA clips of all time.

'They put him in a self-induced coma.'

"I was there live, and it was such a successful event. [The knockout] ruined my whole mood. I just couldn't be happy after that," Zaidi told the hosts.

The podcasters, including former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Quinton Jackson, asked how long Vick was unconscious after the blow to his head.

"For a couple of days," Zaidi squeamishly replied. "They put him in a self-induced coma. And he had a respiratory [machine] to make sure he stays breathing."

The promoter continued, "I went to him when he woke up, I stayed in Orlando to make sure that I could see him ... and he's like, 'What did he catch me with?'"

Zaidi said he told Vick it was a "switch-kick," to which the fighter apparently replied, "Oh man ... I want to get back in there."

Vick was a promising UFC prospect in his mid-20s, amassing a record of 9-0 in 2015.

His first knockout loss was in 2016 to Beneil Dariush. Following another four-fight win streak, Vick suffered four brutal knockouts between 2018 and 2021. The loss in 2021 was on a regional promotion; however, he suffered a broken orbital bone as a result, prompting him to retire from mixed martial arts.

"[A] Few days ago I took the worst loss of my career," Vick said at the time, per MMA Mania. He then explained his injury.

“My orbital is broke on my right side, the fracture went all the way through to the other side causing a Bi lateral break plus my jaw is completely displaced so tomorrow they are finally doing surgery to fix it. It really was a perfectly placed shot. The doctor said i could definitely fight again after this if I wanted to but this was my last fight. I can't keep putting my family through this."

However, despite his pledge, Vick would fight again a year and nine months later in the Karate Combat promotion, losing a unanimous decision. He won a decision victory in April 2023 before the June 2024 KO loss.

"Thank God he's OK, man," Zaidi added. "But I can't morally want to do that. I'm not gonna put him back in there. ... He can become a coach!"

The other fighters agreed that Vick should not fight again.

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Thug swings '5-foot-long tree branch' like baseball bat, bashing man in back of head in horrific, unprovoked attack



An unidentified male took a swing with a "5-foot-long tree branch" like it was a baseball bat, bashing a man in the back of his head in a horrific, unprovoked attack in Dallas over the weekend. You can view surveillance video of the attack here.

The victim, Adam Mercado, and his girlfriend, Taylor Monnet, were in downtown Dallas early Saturday morning and decided to meet friends at City Tavern, KXAS-TV reported.

'I always have my guard up; make sure you keep your head on a swivel — because for 10 seconds, I let my guard down, and this happened.'

“As we were walking up, I noticed a gentleman holding a big stick, kind of looking like a spear,” Mercado told KXAS. “And initially, my senses were going crazy, my intuition was going crazy, so I said, 'You know what, let’s go inside and get a drink.'”

Around 2 a.m., the couple decided to leave and were on the patio outside the tavern when the attack happened, the station said.

“And that’s when I felt it,” Mercado recounted to KXAS. “The sound was loud enough to almost be a gunshot. That’s what scared me.”

Video shows the male walking through the patio and stopping behind Mercado when he took a swing with the stick — which Mercado called a "5-foot-long tree branch" in a YouTube video description. A piece of the stick broke off when the male hit Mercado in the back of his head, after which Mercado fell to the ground.

Video also shows the attacker punching another man — a City Tavern employee, KXAS said — who came over in an apparent attempt to intervene, knocking him to the ground before the suspect took off. Dallas police told the station investigators had not yet identified the suspect.

Monnet is seen on the clip trying to get assistance for her boyfriend, telling KXAS that she was "running into the bar, and I’m screaming, just begging for help from anyone.”

The couple told the station that they turned down an ambulance ride due to the possible financial cost. “Eventually went to the hospital a few hours later because my head, my ears, everything was ringing, I was sore,” Mercado recalled to KXAS. “And I knew that I had to get checked out.”

The station said Mercado was diagnosed with a concussion, after which he experienced lingering pain and brain fog — along with fears about leaving their apartment in the wake of the attack.

“It’s just been really traumatic, you know, I’ve never had any type of violence done unto me,” he told KXAS. “Very surreal.”

Due to his expectation of a large hospital bill after a number of scans, and because he can't work for a little while, WFAA-TV said Mercado set up a GoFundMe page to help defray costs.

He added a warning to others who are out and about like he was, WFAA noted: "I always have my guard up; make sure you keep your head on a swivel — because for 10 seconds, I let my guard down, and this happened."

You can view video of an interview with Mercado and Monnet here.

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On-duty Boston cop gets hurt barreling down massive slide, while his equipment flies: 'Oh f***'



An on-duty Boston Police officer injured himself while taking a tumble down a giant metal slide at Boston's City Hall Plaza.

The new slide is a popular spot for kids, according to the Boston Globe, where children have to climb three levels of obstacles in order to get to the steep, metallic contraption.

This endeavor was not too difficult for a local Boston cop, however, but it did reveal that the slide is indeed dangerous for adults. Signs at the playground reportedly say that the slide is “not intended for adult use” and should only be used by kids ages 5-12, according to the New York Post.

In the video posted to Twitter and TikTok, loud banging is heard from inside the tube slide, later revealed to be the officer flying down the metal slide face-down. The officer makes contact with the bottom of the slide before skidding to a stop on the rubber playground surface below.

What appeared to be the cop's pepper spray, handcuffs, and radio fly off of his body, although the radio remained attached by its cord. He is then heard saying "Oh f***" while he gathers himself to his feet.

— (@)

A Boston Police spokesman confirmed the video as well as the reported minor injuries that followed from the incident.

"He was on duty, he used his own private insurance, and he didn't miss any time," the spokesman told TheBlaze.

Online reactions ranged from laughter to disappointment that the officer was partaking in stunts while on duty.

"Good to see them hard at work," said one viewer.

"What was he doing there?" asked another woman.

Former NHL player and podcaster Ryan Whitney reportedly had posted the video, but said he took it down after he was begged to remove it.

"I just deleted what I think is one of the funniest videos of all time. I was begged to take it down. Sad," Whitney wrote.

— (@)

Other adults have been injured trying to complete the feat of the children's slide. One woman posted a TikTok video of her coming out of the tube face-first as well, resulting in a head injury of her own.


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Mitch McConnell RETIRING after potentially serious BRAIN DAMAGE?



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after a fall last month and may be on the verge of retirement because of it.

The fall left him with a severe concussion and potentially serious brain damage. According to reports, he’s been in and out of the hospital and rehab.

Sara Gonzales says it's also being reported that “Republicans in the Senate are scrambling to come up with a new game plan” because of this.

She adds, “Sources are saying that he is going to announce immediate retirement. Not like, ‘Hey, I’m going to retire at the end of my term,’ but immediate retirement.”

Gonzales believes this could be a moment for change.

“This would be the chance to have some sort of a ... new leader who is actually conservative.”

Actor Matthew Marsden joins Gonzales to give his thoughts on the matter.

“If he’s mentally impaired and physically impaired, then he should just become a Democrat and get elected another six times.”

“I’m not joking, I mean come on,” he adds.

Matthew J. Pearson chimes in.

“Now we have a bunch of geriatric people who are clawing for dear life.”

While Gonzales and her guests wish McConnell well, Pearson agrees that “there’s an opening to shake up leadership.”

Gonzales points out that it’s not just McConnell whose time may be up.

“Dianne Feinstein,” she says, “89 years old.”

And she’s not the only one.

“Chuck Grassley,” she continues, "89 years old as well. Bernie Sanders, 81 years old.”

“I don’t even know if Joe Biden’s alive and he’s the president. So, they’re very good at propping these people up [and] using them as the puppets that they are supposed to be.”


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Sen. Mitch McConnell released from inpatient physical rehab; plans return to Senate 'soon'



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was released from inpatient physical therapy Saturday and plans to return to the Senate soon, according to a statement from the Kentucky Republican.

"I want to sincerely thank everyone for all the kind wishes. I’m happy to say I finished inpatient physical therapy earlier today and I’m glad to be home," the statement said, in part.

McConnell says he will not be returning to the Senate right away, but he looks forward to returning to the upper chamber in person "soon." On the advice of his physical therapists, he will spend the "next few days working for Kentuckians and the Republican Conference from home."

The statement also said that McConnell is in frequent contact with Senate colleagues and staff.

The 81-year-old Republican lawmaker was hospitalized March 9 after tripping and falling during an event at at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.

Because the Senate begins its long Easter recess Thursday, he may initially return to the Senate when it reconvenes April 17, according to the the Washington Post.

McConnell also tripped in 2019, fracturing his shoulder, as TheBlaze reported. He was at his home in Louisville on his outside patio when the incident occurred.

Also on Saturday, former President Trump said McConnell and other high-level Republican and Democrat political leaders posed a greater threat to the United States than China or Russia. In addition to specifically naming McConnell, Trump also named Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Ny.), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), President Biden, and the Department of Justice as "threats." Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Waco, Texas.

Another senator, John Fetterman (D-Pa.), remains hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as he is treated for depression. Sen. Fetterman has been in the hospital for five weeks, as the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Friday.

Fetterman, too, is slated to return to the Senate soon, though his staff provided no specific date.

"He'll be back soon, at least over a week, but soon," Fetterman's communications director, Joe Calvello said Thursday.

As is the case with Sen. McConnell, Sen. Fetterman says his staff members are keeping him up to date as he follows medical professionals' advice and recovers.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has also been absent from the Senate as the 89-year-old receives treatment for shingles, CNN reported.

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McConnell Released From Physical Therapy After Concussion, Broken Rib

'A concussion and a fractured rib'

Sen. Mitch McConnell 'expected to remain in the hospital for a few days,' comms director says



Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has been hospitalized and is receiving treatment for a concussion, according to the Republican lawmaker's communications director, David Popp.

"Leader McConnell tripped at a dinner event Wednesday evening and has been admitted to the hospital and is being treated for a concussion," Popp said in a statement. "He is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days of observation and treatment. The Leader is grateful to the medical professionals for their care and to his colleagues for their warm wishes."

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McConnell, 81, has served in the Senate for just over 38 years, and he has been serving as either minority or majority leader for well over a decade.

"Jill and I are wishing Senator McConnell a speedy recovery. We look forward to seeing him back on the Senate floor," President Biden said in a tweet posted on the @POTUS Twitter account.

McConnell tripped and got injured in 2019, Popp noted in a statement at the time. The lawmaker had "tripped at home on his outside patio and suffered a fractured shoulder."

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who just took office earlier this year, went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last month to seek treatment for clinical depression. "John is well on his way to recovery and wanted me to say how grateful he is for all the well wishes. He's laser focused on PA & will be back soon," the senator's chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, tweeted on Monday.

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Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is recovering from shingles. "I want to thank everyone for the well wishes and the hospital staff for providing excellent care. I'm recovering at home now while I continue receiving treatment and look forward to returning to the Senate as soon as possible," a Tuesday tweet reads.

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Mitch McConnell to remain hospitalized with concussion, top aide says

'The Leader is grateful to the medical professionals for their care'

Mom who shouted from stands for daughter to hit youth basketball game opponent ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution



A southern California mother who shouted from the stands last year for her daughter to hit her youth basketball game opponent was ordered this week to pay more than $9,000 in restitution, undergo anger management, and write apology letters, NBC News reported.

What's the background?

Latira Shonty Hunt, 44, of La Puente, was charged in December with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one misdemeanor count of battery, the network said, citing a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

During a Nov. 7 tournament game between the SoCal Blaze and Dream Academy, Hunt's daughter took a shot and fell backward and into the victim, who also fell to the court, after which they both got up and began walking to the other end of the court.

Prosecutors said Hunt yelled to her daughter "you better hit her," NBC News said.

It appears those words can be heard in the video of the incident, during which Hunt's daughter blindsides the victim, hitting her apparently in the head and knocking her to the court:

\u201cA mother has been charged for allegedly yelling instructions to her daughter to attack another player at a basketball game.\u201d
— The Post Millennial (@The Post Millennial) 1639186128

KNBC-TV reported that the victim suffered a concussion.

Judge weighs in

A county superior court judge on Wednesday granted Hunt misdemeanor diversion in exchange for completing a series of requirements over the next two years, including writing an apology to the victim, her parents, and both basketball teams, NBC News said, citing prosecutors.

Hunt also was also ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution and complete anger management classes before she can attend basketball games again, the network reported, citing prosecutors. Hunt also was ordered to stay away from the victim, NBC News added, citing the district attorney’s office.

The network said Hunt on Thursday couldn't be immediately reached for comment and added that it's not clear if an attorney was representing her.

Contrite words from attacker's father — a former NBA player

The father of the player who attacked the unsuspecting girl is former NBA player Corey Benjamin – and he issued an apology following the incident, which NewsNation said the Associated Press obtained.

"As a father, I'm shocked and disappointed at my daughter's behavior as this is not a reflection of the values and standards that my family holds," Benjamin said, according to the AP. "Nor does it exemplify the values, character and spirit of sportsmanship that the game of basketball requires."

He added: "To the young lady who was punched by my daughter during a youth basketball game, I sincerely apologize to you, and I am praying for your complete healing both physically and emotionally. To her family, I deeply apologize and regret that this happened to your daughter as she did not deserve this to happen to her. Finally, I apologize to all of those who have been impacted and hurt by the actions of my daughter as well as those of her mother."