8 Years Since Illegal Strikes Paralyzed Prichard Colon, Ex-UFC Champion Reduced to Tears After Witnessing His Condition

Prichard Colon. Sometimes, the name is enough to tell the story. Every time Colon is brought up, it’s not because of his blinding 16-1 record or not because of his beautiful relationship with his mother, who was ringside on that fateful day. It’s always because of the injury that robbed him of himself. Even ex-UFC star Michael Bisping had to hold his tears back when he was reminded of it. It was probably because Bisping himself came close to a grave injury back in his days.

Prichard Colon was a promising boxer who had won several medals and fights. Colon had won five amateur boxing titles before turning professional at 20. Ahead of him was a career he could have looked back at and been proud of. Who knows? Perhaps, today, he could’ve gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Tyson Fury in terms of sheer success. However, several illegal moves later, the narrative shifted. Recently, ex-UFC champion Michael Bisping shared a story of his on Instagram with the caption, “This brought a tear to me eye.” So what is this story?

The tragic story of Prichard Colon brings Michael Bisping to tears

Prichard Colon was a promising up-and-coming talent when he stepped into the ring with Terrell Williams. The fight happening, was in itself, a twisted scheme of fate. It was only put on the schedule because American super middleweight Andre Dirrell pulled out of his fight against Australian boxer Blake Caparello. The fight against the undefeated Williams on October 17, 2015, would have been Colon’s fifth of the year and third in less than three months.

By that time, he had amassed a 16-1 record with 13 KO wins since turning professional. “Don’t be fooled by his good looks, either. I mean, I had the same problem back in the day” – this is what former five-weight world champion and boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard said of Prichard Colon earlier that very same day. However, the charismatic 23-year-old could not have known what tragedy awaited him that fateful night.

During the fight, Williams landed several brutal punches to the back of Colon’s head. A move that is absolutely illegal. Even when the fighter was knocked down for the first time in his career, the ringside doctor Richard Ashby allowed him to go on. Eventually, Colon’s dizziness took over, and the fight was stopped. He was assisted to the locker room by his mother, where he vomited and caved in onto the floor.

Everyone knows what happened next. The young phenom was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma. In simpler words, a brain bleed. A tragic injury that not only took his career from him, but it took his quality of life also. He soon went into a coma and once he was out of it, his senses had given up on him. The boxer has spent the last eight years of his life in a vegetative state to one degree or another. Thankfully, because of physical therapy and his family’s support, the now 31-year-old has made improvements by leaps and bounds.

Colon can now communicate via his eyes, move around his hands, and even stand up with some help. It’s true. A fighter fights, one way or another. Having experienced an injury that left a lasting mark on him, Michael Bisping could no way look past the young boxer’s current state.

Also Read: Remembering Prichard Colón – The Boxer Who Got Paralyzed After Getting Hit With Illegal Shots

Impact of Prichard Colon’s injury on others

Clearly, Michael Bisping is more than affected by the story. The ex-UFC champ has spent years in the cage and he knows what it feels like to risk life to make a living. When Bisping fought Vitor Belfort in 2013, a kick to his head left him with a detached retina. Now, Bisping is blind in his left eye. It was later reported that Belfort was abusing testosterone right before it was banned by the USADA in 2014. However, the injury did not stop ‘The Count’ from claiming the championship in 2016.

Even fellow boxer, Deontay Wilder broke down to tears during a press conference in 2022. This was right after he knocked out Robert Helenius and the opponent passed out with his eyes open. It was a scary moment to witness and when asked about his concern for Helenius, Wilder went on a rant about the way fighters risk everything- “. . . I always say this is not a sport, a sport is something you play. You can’t play this. We risk our lives for you guys entertainment . . . ” Speaking of Colon, he said, he’ll (Colon) never be nobody’s father man.”

Wilder too, remembered Prichard Colon as he wept over the state of fighters in the combat sports world. The truth is, battle sport is truly just for entertainment and has been from the times that gladiators fought to death in the Colosseum.

It may cost an eye, a leg, or even your mind. And yet, as always, fighters fight, one way or another. Hopefully, Prichard Colon will one day stand tall again to speak his truth.

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