Health issues are a regular part of any fighter’s life. In a full-contact sport such as MMA, fighters often have to go into their bouts with minor injuries and niggles. Not to mention the long-term impact of being constantly hit in the face that manifests in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). However, in the case of UFC veteran Jim Miller, it was not injuries that plagued him.
The lightweight, who has fought a record-breaking 44 times in the UFC and holds the record for most wins at 26 in the promotion, suffered from one of the most debilitating and mysterious diseases, which almost ended his career.
How did Jim Miller get Lyme disease?
Unbeknownst to him, most likely in the spring of 2013, Jim Miller was bitten by a tick. This bite gave him the rare and severe condition called Lyme disease, which is the subject of many conspiracy theories and controversies.
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The disease remained undiagnosed for over four years and caused him significant distress. As a result of the bacterial disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete bacteria, he experienced numerous adverse symptoms, including fatigue, depression, acute memory loss, fatigue, joint pain, and depression.
“I know that my road is like nobody else. I was ranked in the top 10 in the world and bitten by a tick that was carrying Lyme disease and it f****** my world up,” he told ‘MMA Fighting’. Moreover, one thing led to another and Jim Miller suffered another worrying symptom caused by Lyme disease.
Jim Miller reveals details about his memory loss
The bite of an infected tick is much more dangerous than most people believe, and Jim Miller stressed earlier this year how much it really affected his well-being. He was in top shape during the mid-2015s, but the tick bite destroyed not only his momentum but deteriorated his health to a very worrying level.
Jim Miller almost went through a two-year period from 2015 to 2017 when he had problems with his memory. He claims that the memory loss experience was similar to what Alzheimer’s patients tend to feel.
“There’s a brain plaque that’s associated with Lyme disease that looks exactly like freaking Alzheimer’s. My memory from about 2015 through maybe early 2017, there were times when my wife would bring something up and there was nothing. There is nothing there,” Jim Miller further added.
Jim Miller’s in a way better state of health than he’s ever been, even though he’s fighting in his 40s. He’s fighting fellow veteran Damon Jackson in his record 45th bout in Dana White‘s promotion this weekend at UFC 309, hoping to get the better of his opponent. Do you fancy his chances of winning at Madison Square Garden? Drop your comments below.
