You would hope the popularity of MMA, etc., to say nothing of actual incidents (Martin, Brown) would change this, but it still seems prevalent.
I'd be more likely to cite Pedro Alcazar, Becky Zerlentes, Sonny Boy West, and other professional athletes in excellent physical condition who died from injuries suffered in sanctioned, refereed, weapon-free competition. Then there's no need to argue that any infirmities make me more susceptible to serious consequences or anything else; a perfectly healthy, strong and skilled person can undeniably be beaten to death with only fists.
Edit to add: It's also worth noting that the fatal fight for each of these involved a single opponent of similar skill, size and strength, (and in at least Zerlentes' case, she was wearing padded headgear as she was a Jujitsu instructor participating as an amateur boxer) so it's not necessary to be facing a significantly larger, stronger or more experienced opponent to be in fear of a lethal unarmed attack.
