Daily Mail Australia, by James Cooney
Updated on 2024-07-10 05:51, 2024-07-10 05:51
- MMA fans shocked by video of former UFC star's speech impediment
- Nam Phan has been competing in martial arts for 20 years.
- Fan is still involved in martial arts and wants to keep fighting.
Mixed martial arts fans and experts have expressed concern over a harrowing video of former UFC fighter Nam Phan that shows a marked decline in his speech skills throughout his career.
Phan, 41, is a former American mixed martial artist and professional boxer who began competing professionally in 2001.
The Californian boxer, who has fought in some of the world's biggest organisations, including UFC, officially hung up his boxing gloves in 2017 but remains active, taking part in boxing and Muay Thai competitions.
Video clips circulating on social media show a clear deterioration in Huang's speech throughout his career, likely due to years of sparring and fighting.
In earlier clips, Fan's speech is clear and easy to understand, but in more recent footage, his words seem slurred, he has problems with pronunciation and he appears to speak very slowly.
“Rough guy. Nam is an OG,” one fan commented.
“Nam Phan was a really likeable fighter, sad to see him like this,” wrote another.
Well-known mixed martial arts journalist Luke Thomas shared the video on Tuesday and commented on the sad situation.
“Devastating,” he wrote.
“This is a web of issues, including inadequate board oversight, limitations on warfighter pay and warfighters' own risk assessments.”
“This sport will absolutely break you, and there are plenty of places where this has happened.”
Some of the mixed martial arts star's fans have suggested that he may be suffering from the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a deadly brain disease.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease closely linked to repeated head impacts and can only be diagnosed post-mortem.
It can lead to dementia, personality changes and suicidal thoughts, and there is no cure or treatment.
In a recent interview, fans admitted they would like to see a few more fights, but combat sports fans don't want that.
“He should never fight again. It breaks my heart to hear his story,” one fan commented.
“The commission needs to step in here. This guy shouldn't fight anymore,” replied another.
Last year, former UFC fighter Julie Kesey revealed that she plans to donate her brain for research after her death.
Kesey, 42, competed in 29 professional mixed martial arts bouts, his last two with UFC, finishing his career in 2013 with a 16-13 record.
In the decade since, she has publicly acknowledged that she suffers from depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, impulsivity and poor sleep – all symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a fatal brain disease.
With this in mind, Kesey has vowed to donate her brain for research after she dies, in the hope that the research will benefit other women involved in martial arts in the future.
