“I Developed Really Bad Habits” – UFC’s Rising Star Kay Hansen Opens up on Her Ongoing Struggles

Kay Hansen will make her return to the octagon at UFC 270 on January 22, 2022. She made her UFC debut in 2020 and is currently 1-1 after dropping her last fight. The American fighter has not competed in the UFC since the end of 2020.

The 22-year-old, in a recent interview, opened about her reason to not fight. While talking to Mike Heck of MMA fighting, she talked about her struggles. When asked about her layoff and why it has been so long, she said, “I’ve struggled with an eating disorder for a while. It’s something that I’ve struggled with outside of fighting too, but being in a sport that revolves around feeling and looking at peak athleticism, and around weight, I just let it get out of hand.”

Hansen was slated to fight in March against Cheyanne Buys at UFC Vegas 22. However, she had to pull out of the fight and it was because of her health. She said, “I, unfortunately, had to pull out of my fight in March because everything was just crashing in on me health-wise. If anyone has followed my career since I was 18, I’ve had 14 fights, six pro boxing matches. I’ve just been non-stop fighting and making weight. But I was young, and I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I developed really bad habits.”

“I wasn’t eating anything, but also training super hard two to three times a day. So I just had to put my health first for once in my career because it all caught up to me,” she added.

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Kay Hansen returns at UFC 270

Hansen, having fought through her struggles, is ready to get back in the octagon. She will return to action at UFC 270 and face Dana White’s Contender Series graduate, Jasmine Jasudavicius. Her opponent is 6-1 in her career and is on a two-fight win streak. Having fought in September 2021 last, she will definitely have the advantage of being a fight recently.

Hansen will enter the octagon after 14 months. She is currently 7-4 in her career but will be at her healthiest coming into the fight. They were scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night 200 before but were later shifted to UFC 270.

Going into the fight, Hansen believes that she is at her strongest mentally. She said, “I think I’ve finally learned to appreciate what my body has been through, and what I’ve put it through, and how it’s been able to bounce back. I’m the strongest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my whole life right now, and it’s taken a lot to mentally and physically get back here.”

Kay Hansen’s journey and recovery have been nothing but incredible. With her struggles now out of the way, she would like to get back on the winning track and hopefully push for a title shot.

What do you think of Hansen’s journey? Do you think she can find her way to the top? Let us know in the comments!

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