Four UFC Fighters Who Suffer From CTE

UFC fighters may be tough, but it eventually takes a toll on their health. After all, CTE is quite a disturbing aftermath for all boxers and MMA fighters. Many fighters develop ‘Chronic traumatic encephalopathy’ because of repeated blows to the head, which leads to brain injury. Memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment are some of the most common symptoms.

Muhammad Ali, who still remains one of the biggest names in boxing, suffered from Parkinson’s. However, many have speculated whether it could have been CTE instead. Therefore, it becomes extremely important for combat sports athletes to look after their brain health.

Here are four UFC fighters who probably suffer from CTE.

Spencer Fisher

The former UFC lightweight fighter fought his last fight in 2012. However, ‘The King’ soon started to have health problems. In a year-old interview with MMA Fighting, Fisher was heard talking about the difficulties he has been experiencing.

He said, “I forget what I’m doing, depression, dizzy spells, calling people different names, not knowing their actual name. My kids, I have had instances in the past that I couldn’t think of their name on the spot.”

“My long-term memory is okay but my short-term memory is gone.”

Fisher believes that his current condition is a result of the injuries he sustained during his fighting career. It is truly heartbreaking for fans to watch Fisher in a condition when at one time he was a huge athlete.

Renato Sobral

Renato Sobral fought for the UFC from 2005 to 2007. Two famous opponents he faced in the octagon were Chael Sonnen and Chuck Liddell.

‘Babalu’ unfortunately suffered several knockouts in his long MMA career. He has been experiencing issues with balance and vision. Sobral, too, has opened up about his CTE concerns. He said (h/t MMA Fighting), “Today I can’t walk a straight line, I lost sight of my left eye, which is a big price (to pay). I have no balance today, my balance is almost zero.”

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Sobral explained that he has been trying to work on his balance and other stuff. However, his concern over living life in a normal way persists.

Tim Hague

The heavyweight fighter had just a few fights in the UFC. He had a career with a total of 34 fights in MMA. Sadly, he passed away in 2017 after a boxing match. After an autopsy was conducted, it was learned he had CTE.

Gary Goodridge

Goodridge was with the UFC at the promotion’s very beginning. He fought under UFC during 1996 when MMA was not mainstream. ‘Big Daddy’ fought for several other promotions and his last fight was in 2009. In 2012, he was diagnosed with ‘Degenerative Dementia’.

In an interview with Invicta Fighting Champion, which dates back to six years ago, Goodridge spoke about the problems he has been facing. He said that he feels ‘crippled’ because of his disability. He also spoke about his struggle with depression. The former MMA fighter said that he expects his condition to only get worse.

It is always sad to see fighters go through so much. While they dedicate their heart and soul to the sport, there needs to be more awareness about the outcomes of repeatedly eating punches.

Neurodegenerative diseases like CTE not only affect the body but also the mind. This makes it important for combat sports promotions to come up with a solution to minimize risks.

Which other fighters have been diagnosed with CTE?

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