In what can only be described as a remarkable turn of events, Bellator MMA competitor Cris Lencioni achieved a significant milestone in his recovery journey by walking out of the hospital.
The 29-year-old athlete was originally set to face James Gallagher in a featherweight bout. The match would take place at Bellator 298 on August 11, 2023. But on June 8, 2023, tragedy struck when Lencioni suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a training session. The incident took place at a gym in Spokane, Washington.
The cardiac arrest not only led to the cancellation of his Bellator matchup but also resulted in potential brain damage. This was due to the lack of oxygen reaching his brain while unconscious.
According to Cris Lencioni’s wife Marca Lencioni, medical professionals suspect that the cardiac arrest may have been triggered by Long QT syndrome. It is a health condition that disrupts the heart’s ability to relax after a heartbeat. This can lead to dangerous irregularities in heart rhythm.
But amidst the troubling news, Marca Lencioni expressed optimism about her husband’s progress in his recovery journey. She revealed that Cris had begun responding to stimuli, including her communications with him.
UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney shared a heartwarming photo of Cris Lencioni on Twitter with a group of people outside the hospital where he had been admitted. McKinney talked Lencioni’s incredible progress since the cardiac arrest incident and the coma.
In his tweet, McKinney wrote: “2 months ago Cris Lencioni went into cardiac arrest and since then he relearned to do everything. Today he walked out of the hospital on his own. The comeback kid”
In July 2023, Marca Lencioni disclosed in an interview how her husband had surprised many with his rapid recovery rate following the health-related incident. While Cris was still hospitalized at that time, they explored alternative treatment options to aid in his recovery.
Marca Lencioni’s social media posts revealed that Cris was diligently working on regaining his ability to speak and perform general motor functions. Discussing the doctors’ plans, Marca Lencioni shared that they intended to implant a cardioverter-defibrillator in Cris to safeguard him against potential heart-related issues in the future.
She wrote: “He’s still got a while until he’s ready to leave, and we are still looking into alternative treatment options. They dropped the [long-term acute care hospital] center after seeing how quickly he was progressing.”
As of now, it remains uncertain how long it will take for Cris Lencioni to make a complete recovery and resume his MMA training. Fans eagerly await further updates on his journey to a successful return.