There’s no denying that combat sports are among the most dangerous in the world, where a single mistake can lead to life-threatening injuries. Fighters like Matt Hughes, Ryan Curtis, and many others have experienced the harsh realities of the sport. Similarly, after nearly two decades in the octagon, former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum has revealed his struggles with extensive brain damage during his testimony in the Le vs. Zuffa UFC lawsuit.
Fabricio Werdum, along with former UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida and others, have stepped up to testify in the ongoing Le vs. Zuffa legal battle. The lawsuit, which has a $375 million settlement on the line, sees fighters accusing Zuffa and the UFC of breaking anti-trust laws by underpaying fighters and using sketchy competitive practices.
Talking about Werdum’s testimony, he opened up about serious brain damage, including lesions, scarring, and a cyst deep in his brain that can’t be treated with surgery and needs constant checkups.
He stated, “While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many concussions. I fear that during my career I have suffered traumatic brain injury and am noticing common symptoms, including irritability, anger, anxiety, insomnia and memory loss.”
On the other hand, Machida didn’t mention any health concerns in his statement but did talk about how he would use his part of the settlement.
The Legendary Career Of Ex-UFC Champ Fabricio Werdum
Werdum made his MMA debut in 2002, kicking things off strong with a decisive finish against Tengiz Tedoradze. It wasn’t until 2007 that he stepped into the UFC, but his debut didn’t go as planned, as he faced a tough loss against Andrei Arlovski.
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Even though his debut wasn’t ideal, he eventually rose to become a major heavyweight superstar in the UFC. In 2014, he secured the championship title after knocking out Mark Hunt. Throughout his career, he bagged big wins against Cain Velasquez, Fedor Emelianenko, and numerous others. Thanks to this, he established himself as the ultimate superstar in the heavyweight division.
Subsequently, in 2021, after leaving the UFC, he faced Renan Ferreira at PFL, but the fight ended in a no contest. After that, he didn’t fight in the octagon again. But last year, at Gamebred Fighting Championship 5, he made his bare-knuckle MMA debut, where he lost to former UFC title holder Junior dos Santos by a split decision. This was his last fight in combat sports.
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