In a recent podcast episode Sean Hannity, ESPN star Stephen A. Smith opened up about a health scare. During the conversation, Smith made clear that Dana White and his human biologist Gary Brecka may have saved his life.
The story began, as Smith told it, during the COVID era, when UFC CEO Dana White caught a glimpse of Smith over FaceTime and did not like what he saw.
“He couldn’t believe what he was seeing,” Smith recalled. “He was really ticked off that I didn’t call him to seek some help or whatever.” What followed was a wake-up call that Smith credits as a turning point.
White connected Smith with Brecka, telling him, “Whatever it takes, get them right.” The numbers Brecka uncovered were alarming.
Smith was sitting at nearly 30% body fat, his A1C levels were a tenth of a point away from a full-blown diabetes diagnosis, and his cholesterol had climbed to around 302 or 303.
“Gary Brecka just discovered that I had a… my blood was swimming in sugar and all of this other stuff that was going on with me,” Smith said.
For roughly two years, Brecka worked with Smith consistently, checking in every week and guiding him through the changes his body needed. “He steered me in the right direction and stayed with me for about two years, just every week pounding me about what I needed to do to get myself right,” Smith told Hannity. “I owe him my life.”
Today, Smith’s daily routine reflects Brecka’s influence at nearly every turn. He breathes in the morning the way Brecka recommends, uses a cold plunge that he credits for reducing inflammation, and spends time in both a red light bed and a sauna.
His diet has been stripped back to the basics. “I only eat protein,” he said, adding that meat and eggs have become his daily staple.
Hannity, who keeps a similarly disciplined routine and maintains a weight of 185 to 186 lbs (approximately 84 kg), noted the visible transformation, pointing out that Smith appeared noticeably smaller than when they had last seen each other.
Smith confirmed he had been steady, getting on the scale each day and sticking to the habits Brecka drilled into him.
“I can do a lot of it on my own now,” Smith said, “but I owe him my life.”
