AN IRISH undertaker has offered to fund the repatriation of the Portuguese MMA fighter who died after a fight in Dublin nine days ago.
Joao Carvalho died of head injuries sustained during a bout against Irish fighter Charlie Ward on Saturday, April 9.
The 28-year-old was taken to hospital after being beaten in the fight at the National Stadium, where he underwent emergency brain surgery. He remained in a critical condition for 48 hours before he died on Monday, April 11.
The post-mortem has not yet been conducted, but Justin Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Funeral Directors in Rush said he will cover the costs of returning the body to Lisbon.
Mr Fitzgerald, an MMA fan, has been in contact with the family since last week, according to the Herald.
A GoFundMe appeal was set up for Carvalho's family on behalf of the Irish Amateur Pankration Association. It has raised almost €10,000, which will be provided to the family.
"I'm a big fan of the sport, and when everything happened I was in the position where I was able to look after the family, and that's why I did it," he told the Herald.
"At 28 years of age he probably had no life insurance or anything, so I was able to help out.
"The only thing I have to do is send him on a plane across the water to the undertaker in Portugal to look after."
