5 UFC careers that were nearly ended by medical issues
Some UFC fighters have been lucky enough to survive near-death situations. The amount of hard training, discipline, and dieting that goes into preparing for a fight can have huge side effects.
Mixed martial arts is a full-contact sport and injuries are always going to be part and parcel of the activity. The sport also encompasses numerous other aspects like weight cutting which, if done wrongly, could prove very dangerous for a fighter's well-being.
However, in this article we aren't talking about injuries, but some of the near-career-ending medical issues, which apart from taking away a fighter's career, were close enough to kill them.
So let's take a look at 5 UFC careers that were nearly ended by medical issues.
#5. Khamzat Chimaev - UFC welterweight
Khamzat Chimaev, along with some other UFC athletes, caught COVID-19 during the pandemic. Chimaev got infected while he was in Sweden and continued to train despite being ill. 'Borz' ended up in the hospital several times as he was facing severe breathing issues.
It got so bad that his coaches and manager were concerned for his life. As his condition wasn't getting better, he was flown to Las Vegas for treatment. He was given medication and told to rest by the doctors. The Swedish wrestler then went to the gym and sparred a few rounds.
But after reaching home, he started coughing up blood. He subsequently announced his retirement on Instagram.
Khamzat Chimaev posted this on IG moments ago. instagram.com/p/CL5cum2lU4R/… https://t.co/XgMgIXtCEC
Chimaev flew home to Chechnya, where he took proper rest and care of himself. He eventually recovered from COVID and started training once again.