The condition of UFC vet Nam Phan worries MMA fans. Social media users have been sharing a video that demonstrates the dramatic decline in Phan’s speech over time. The fact that the 39-year-old is still competing in combat sports astonished a lot of fans.
Phan made his UFC debut at TUF 12 reality series in 2010, falling to Leonard Garcia by a razor-thin split decision. The American only had two victories to his name after eight octagon appearances. He was never quite able to create an impact during his stint in the organization.
The veteran then made his way into other promotions like Bellator and Pancrase, where he won the featherweight championship. He stopped competing in mixed martial arts in 2017 after suffering three defeats in a row. However, he has kept up competing having participated in boxing and Muay Thai matches.
One MMA fan expressed worry about Nam Phan’s health in response to the video of him:
“He has a Youtube Channel, his comment section at the very least is filled with people who seem genuinely concerned for him. I hope he gets help, this is incredibly sad.”
Another fan was astounded to find that Phan is still fighting and was in awe of his ability to pass medical exams.
Dana White was once questioned about CTE and brain trauma and responded without missing a beat.
Dana White said, “Listen, we are all learning every day about the brain injury stuff. We have been investing in this [Lou] Ruvo Center to try to figure out more. We are now interested [about] this thing just came out on ‘Real Sports’ about psychedelics, and we have actually reached out to the Johns Hopkins guys, and we’re diving into that.”
He added: “But listen, [Fisher] is not the first, and he is definitely not going to be the last. This is a contact sport, and everybody who has ever done this [while] younger, myself included, is dealing with brain issues. It is just part of the gig.”
The aforementioned Spencer Fisher has been battling dementia as far back as 2013. UFC had supported him financially up until the promotion was sold at which point they cut ties. Fisher is not the only one. A number of veterans has fans concerned.