Two Mothership staff covered the Asia Fighting Championship event for two days on Sept. 22 and 23. They are writing about their experiences to share how surreal the events surrounding the tragedy have been. This is one account from the front row seat. Here is the other.

It was supposed to be a semi-comic exhibition bout for publicity, nothing more. Never in a million years did I think it would end in tragedy.

Steven Lim was scheduled to face Sylvester Sim in a Muay Thai bout for the inaugural Asia Fighting Championship event on Sept. 23 held at Marina Bay Sands.

It made sense. Lim and Sim would get another chance to revitalise their public profiles. AFC would draw more curious fans, and hopefully, the sport of Muay Thai would grow in popularity in Singapore.

Pre-fight

I first met Pradip at the press conference on Friday, Sept. 22.

He was a huge man, almost 100kg, but friendly, watching from afar as the other Muay Thai fighters were being weighed in. He answered my questions easily enough.

No, he hadn't had any experience in Muay Thai. But he did use to box in gyms around Singapore and the region. He talked a little about his job as a fitness consultant, and how he was planning to open his own gym in the future.

Lim's demeanour was completely different, as expected -- flamboyant, hyped up and eager. He expressed disappointment at not being able to face Sim, but confidently declared that he would take on any fighter, even though Pradip was bigger, more muscular and much younger than he was.

After the weigh-in, I caught up with Pradip one more time, wanting to get a good quote before the fight the next day.

"I'll do my talking in the ring," he said, with a smile. We shook hands and I wished him luck.

The night

The crowd was decent, in their hundreds at least. Knowing little of Muay Thai or the fighters involved, I observed a few of the undercard bouts.

It resembled boxing more than MMA, with the fighters generally remaining upright and attacking with precise, deliberate strikes. The referee seemed on the ball, breaking up clinches and warning other fighters away when the other was on the ropes.

Applause for the winners were polite, but it seemed to me that everyone was waiting for Steven Lim to appear.

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When he finally did, decked out in red trunks with red hair to boot, he got the loudest cheer of the night. There were laughs when he took off his robe and climbed clumsily over the top rope into the ring.

Charitably, he was the least in-shape person they had seen all night.

Pradip looked like a much tougher competitor, when they stood face to face in the ring.

Truth be told, looking at the two of them, I was a little worried that Lim could be seriously injured. A stretcher had been readied near the ring, and I hoped it wouldn't be necessary.

The fight

Unlike the previous fights, this seemed like a far scrappier affair. Lim was letting loose with wild, flailing haymakers, while Pradip seemed more composed. Both men were hit in the head multiple times before the round was over, which lasted for two minutes.

During the break, Lim looked far more tired than Pradip.

[video width="368" height="656" mp4="https://static.mothership.sg/1/2017/09/steven-lim-tired.mp4"][/video]

When the fight resumed, Lim was hunched over, hands on his knees. But he decided to continue.

During the second round, more of Lim's wild punches seemed to break through Pradip's defences. Although Pradip landed a few good shots on Lim, it was as if he didn't feel them, flying high on adrenaline.

Fight ends

Then came the big moment. Lim landed two solid shots to Pradip's head, then shoved him away. Pradip lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. The crowd roared in disbelief, absolutely no one had given Lim a chance of survival, and now he had actually managed to knock the bigger man off his feet.

When Pradip got back up, he looked dazed. A few seconds later, the referee checked on Pradip and signalled for the bell. Lim had won this bout by technical knockout.

Post-fight

Lim was overjoyed, of course.

People had mocked him but he lived up to his word and emerged victorious. While he climbed the ropes and yelled in joy, Pradip looked in a bad way. I remember seeing medics check up on Pradip for a long time, while Lim was interviewed by the announcer.

When it came to the traditional declaration of the winner in the middle of the ring, Pradip looked very unsteady on his feet. The national anthem was played, and Lim left with the title belt. Pradip, meanwhile, was taken to the back on a stretcher.

When rumours started flying on social media a few hours after the match, I couldn't believe it.

Sure, Pradip looked hurt, but he seemed so much fitter than Lim. Surely he would be alright. Then came more rumours he had been taken to hospital, including a comment on Lim's Instagram page. No one seemed to know the truth.

When the news of Pradip's death was made official, it felt absolutely surreal. I was at MBS until 1.30am, waiting for more information about what was happening. As more details were confirmed, I couldn't help but think what this would mean for everyone involved.

The aftermath

For Lim, this triumph was supposed to be his big comeback. For a few short hours he must have felt on top of the world, exulting in the fact that unlike Sim, he had gone the distance and achieved something no one had thought possible. From now on his name will, unfortunately, be associated with this tragedy, accidental though it may be. I'm not sure where he goes from here.

For the AFC, it is disastrous. Sim's last-minute dropout would have thrown their plans into chaos, and to cancel the exhibition bout on the eve of the event would have been a blow. As of now, no one knows how Pradip ended up taking Sim's place, or what preparations were made for the modified bout. These are questions that will hopefully be answered over the coming weeks.

For the other Muay Thai fighters involved in the event, they must be shocked and saddened. Not only to lose a friend, but their sport has come under a cloud. There were rumours that the fighters were not pleased at having the exhibition match in the first place, fearing it would overshadow their own efforts. Those rumoured fears were confirmed, in the most tragic way possible.

And finally for Pradip's friends and family, everything I have said before this pales in comparison to their loss. It is unimaginable to lose a brother, a son, a friend in the prime of his life with so much ahead of him. My heart goes out to them, along with my deepest condolences.

I shook a man's hand one day, and he died the very next night. The entire thing was a tragic farce, one I wish had never happened.

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