PHILIPPINE authorities said Wednesday a heart attack caused the death of Chinese mixed martial arts fighter Yang Jianping, who collapsed a day before a Manila bout.

    “The official autopsy report administered by the Republic of The Philippines... has determined the cause of death for mixed martial arts athlete and One Championship flyweight Yang Jianping to be from an acute myocardial infarction,” One Championship said in a statement on its website.

    One Championship earlier reported the 21-year-old had collapsed and was taken to a Manila hospital Dec. 10 as he suffered severe dehydration from attempting to make the weight limit for his Dec. 11 fight.

    A Filipino medical legal officer performed the autopsy Dec. 12 to determine the cause and manner of death, which was found to be acute myocardial infarction, the organization said, using the medical term for heart attack.

    A private vigil was held in Manila for Yang’s family and friends and his body has been repatriated to China, it added.

    “Yang Jianping’s passing has been an extremely sad and painful time for me and the entire MMA community. My thoughts are with Yang’s family, friends and fans around the world,” One Championship chief executive Victor Cui said.

    In the last message posted on Weibo on Nov. 30, Yang had been upbeat about the fight.

    “I’m excited, I have been struggling for so long and I’m finally able to participate in One FC, the Asian top competition,” he wrote. “I have been waiting for this opportunity for so many years! Please grant me power, make me really feel the passion of this competition.”

    Based in Singapore, One Championship maintains a stable of fighters signed to exclusive contracts for fights broadcast on cable television

    (SD-Agencies)