Battling cancer is a tough task for anyone who’s afflicted, but also weighs immensely on loved ones. Top UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik is finding this out first-hand, with regard to his kickboxing coach Michael Babb. Michael Babb is a former Muay Thai fighter and coach from Amsterdam Netherlands. He is the kickboxing coach at Vos Gym, Amsterdam. Babb discovered ‘Bigi Boy’ when the Surinamese fighter was training kickboxing at a gym called Rens Project. The Dutch kickboxing coached helped Rozenstruik through a successful kickboxing career with 76 wins in 85 bouts and 65 knockouts.

Babb has also been instrumental in Rozenstruik’s MMA journey, coaching the UFC heavyweight to a 15-5 record. Now, Rozenstruik faces a very bleak situation – something that fighters like Kevin Lee and Mike Tyson have gone through, i.e., the death of a coach and mentor. According to report, Michael Babb is undergoing treatment for stage-IV colon cancer. The situation seems desperate with many of Babb’s fighters sharing posts about his condition along with a GoFundMe link for contributions. The goal is to generate $100,000 for Babb’s treatment.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik himself shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) urging his followers to contribute to his coach’s treatment. Here’s what ‘Bigi Boy’ shared, “One of the most influential teachers in my life, Michael Babb, is fighting cancer. He has always been a source of strength and wisdom, and now he needs our support. Please consider donating to help with his medical treatment. Every bit helps in this battle!”

Like Rozenstruik, many of Babb’s students shared collaborative posts on Instagram urging followers towards the GoFundMe page. The page was created by Babb’s student Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie.

Mahmoud Fawzy Sebie, who currently competes in Brave FC, created a GoFundMe page for his ailing coach. In the description, Sebie details his coach’s condition and makes an appeal for donations to meet all the medical expenses. Here’s what ‘The Prince’ wrote in the GFM page, “I never thought I’d be asking for help like this, but life can be unpredictable. Today, I’m reaching out because my coach, mentor, and father-figure, Michael Babb, is fighting the toughest battle of his life: Stage IV (4) Colon Cancer. Over the past few months, it has spread to his lungs and liver, and it’s heartbreaking to see the strongest man I know in such a vulnerable state.”

The Egyptian-American fighter further detailed how difficult it is for Michael Babb to do even the most basic tasks. Sebie continued, “Mike needs our help. He’s lost over 45 pounds in the past four months, and simple tasks like walking across the room leave him breathless due to the mass pressing on his lungs. He is unable to work while undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments, and the medical bills, rent, food, and home care expenses are overwhelming. Time is running out, and Mike’s health is deteriorating quickly. We need to act fast to ensure he can continue treatment without the added stress of financial burdens.”

There are other UFC stars who have lost their coaches to the misfortunes of life. Kevin Lee is one such example. As we hope for Babb’s recovery, let’s take a look back at how Lee dealt with his loss.

Fighters like Kevin Lee’s UFC career might have been affected by his coach’s passing

Losing a coach can be one of the toughest things a fighter could ever encounter. Boxing legend Mike Tyson still chokes up when remembering his coach and mentor Cus D’Amato. For Kevin Lee, his career was never the same once his coach Robert Follis took his own life in late 2017. With Follis in his corner, ‘The Motown Phenom’ seemed like an unstoppable force going 9-2 in the UFC until 2017. Post Follis’ passing, Lee had an abysmal UFC record of 2-5. One could argue that Robert Follis’ passing had a significant impact on Kevin Lee’s failed UFC career.

Lee opened up about his late coach in an interview with MMA Junkie, and spoke about how Follis’ passing affected him – “I don’t think you ever really move past it. You know, he’s not the first person in my life to die. In that fashion [however], he was [the first person to die], because I couldn’t – it took me a long time to understand why. And, you know, a part of you wants to blame yourself.”

Lee was fresh off a loss to Tony Ferguson, which was arguably the biggest fight of his career back then. Since that fight, the former UFC lightweight amassed an MMA record of 4-5.

It’s difficult to say what the thought process is, at this point for fighters like Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and other fighters from Michael Babb’s camp. One can only hope that they’re able to reach their monetary target for Babb’s treatment and move towards recovery.