FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Elijah Abeles was first exposed to martial arts when he took a taekwondo class with his twin brother, Isaiah, before the twins began competing in mixed martial arts at Lee Brothers MMA during their time at Snyder High School.
Elijah, born two minutes before Isaiah, sees himself as the leader of the duo.
“He was always so laid back and chill,” Elijah said. “He was always there for me. He was the best brother I could have had.”
Elijah's coach, Chris Lee, recalled the twins punching each other when they went head-to-head in the ring.
“When you see the two of them sparring together, it was always a battle of iron sharpening iron,” Lee said.
After several years of training, Isaiah and Elijah began competing in sanctioned mixed martial arts matches. Isaiah won his first three bouts as an amateur and was looking to go 4-0 going into their showdown in Evansville on March 4, 2023.
No one could have predicted what would happen to Isaiah that night.
Isaiah dominated the early rounds, but Elijah, watching the fight just outside the cage, noticed something was wrong.
Isaiah collapsed to the mat and trainers quickly rushed to his aid.
“The battle was so chaotic that we don't know when his heart stopped,” Elijah recalled. “Anything could have happened.”
After the game, Elijah learned that his brother had gone into cardiac arrest during the game, which resulted in Isaiah suffering from anoxic brain injury due to lack of oxygen.
Isaiah is still alive, but his brother, who Elijah grew up with, is dead. Isaiah is barely conscious due to injuries.
The next few months flew by for Elijah and his family. After being moved between several hospitals, Isaiah was finally able to return home to Fort Wayne, where he is cared for daily by his parents.
Now that his twin brother is no longer with him, Elijah is committed to carrying on his brother's legacy. He's grateful for the support he receives from the Lee family.
“I don't know what I'd be doing if I didn't have this space,” Elijah says. “I'm able to express my anger, get it out, and channel it in a way that's actually healthy for me, and that's been good for me.”
Chris Lee has noticed how much Elijah has changed since his brother's injury. Not only has Elijah maintained his confidence, but the mixed martial artist has even adapted his fighting style.
“Elijah has always been reckless in the game,” Lee said, “Isaiah has always been calm and calculated. He's really taken on that side of his brother Isaiah in the game. It's just incredible to watch.”
Elijah's first big breakthrough came at the New England Fights (NEF) MMA event in Maine in late June, when it took him just 32 seconds to score his first complete knockout victory as an amateur.
“I showed up to perform,” Elijah recalled. “I'd been dealing with a lot of stress. I walked into the cage and there was a guy standing in front of me. I wasn't scared of him. I knew what I had to do to go out there and I went out there and did it.”
Elijah is now preparing for his first chance to win a world championship. Abels and Lee will soon be heading to Las Vegas to compete in the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) World Classic. A win would be another big milestone for Elijah, who is looking to take another big step in his MMA career.
If Abels takes home his first belt, he already knows how he'll celebrate when he gets back to Fort Wayne.
“I want to put a belt around my little brother's waist.”
