"20, 30, 40 Vicodins a day" - Charles Oliveira's former opponent gets brutally honest on his prescription pill addiction that led to "I.V. heroin and cocaine"
Charles Oliveira's former opponent Jared Gordon opened up about his addiction to painkillers.
It's extremely common for mixed martial arts competitors to experience chronic pain due to the demanding nature of their activities. With that being the case, Gordon revealed that he once got hooked on Vicodin, which he started taking to relieve the neck pain he was dealing with.
During an interview with Barstool Sports, Gordon recalled how his Vicodin addiction began. The UFC lightweight revealed:
"My friend was selling Vicodin. We're at the bar and he was like, 'Hey, you want a vike?' I was complaining about my neck and I was like, 'Alright!' Then I remember taking it, immediately loved it. The next week, the next Friday at the bar again, [I was like], 'Hey you got any more Vicodin?' My neck wasn't hurting anymore, but I wanted more Vicodin. Then it just snowballed. Next thing you know, I was doing 20, 30, 40 Vicodins a day."
Check out Jared Gordon's tweet below:
My journey with addiction is not unique, I got addicted to pain pills and that led me to I.V. heroin and cocaine. I was able to get help though and I’ve been sober for almost 7 years now. If you’re looking for help please hit me up, If I can help you in any way I will…❤️ https://t.co/w65Z3zAOqr
Gordon then claimed that his addiction to pain medication led to him taking illegal substances such as heroin and cocaine. Fortunately, Gordon shared that he has since recovered and is now sober for seven years.
Jared Gordon recounts his fight against Charles Oliveira
Jared Gordon met Charles Oliveira in the cage before 'do Bronx' was regarded as one of the best UFC lightweights in history.
However, Gordon revealed that his wife immediately recognized Oliveira's championship potential. The Brazilian knocked Gordon out in the first round. After the fight, Gordon claimed that his wife told him Oliveira was a future champion.
"That night after I fought him, my wife was there with me in Brazil," Gordon told Sportskeeda MMA. "She was like, 'That guy is going to be a champion.' And you know, it was still five or six fights away from him winning the belt or whatever it was. He went through a gauntlet of guys before me and then after me. Super inspirational. He's amazing!"
Watch Jared Gordon heap praise on Charles Oliveira:
Indeed, Oliveira captured the UFC lightweight belt after spending 11 years on the UFC roster. Unfortunately, he was stripped of the title after a controversial weigh-in ahead of his clash against Justin Gaethje.
He will get an opportunity to win it back, though, in this month's UFC 280 pay-per-view against Islam Makhachev.