Former UFC vet posts an inspiring message as he continues to battle leukemia

Former UFC fighter Mike Swick has posted an emotional and moving message on Twitter as he nears a year since his cancer diagnosis.

Swick last appeared in the organization back in 2015, losing to Alex Garcia via unanimous decision. 'Quick' is a veteran of the octagon and made 15 appearances for the UFC over the course of his career, winning two Knockout of the Night bonuses whilst competing.

Now retired, the 43-year-old is based in Phuket, Thailand, and runs his own gym, the American Kingboxing Academy (AKA) Thailand.

Unfortunately, Swick was diagnosed with a bout of leukemia in February last year. Since then, the MMA vet has vowed not to let life get him down and penned a motivational message to his fans whilst he fights the disease.

On Twitter, Mike Swick wrote:

"I will beat this cancer. I will make 2023 the best year of my life. I will not stress about the negative things that have not or may not happen. I will try to keep learning each day to be a bteter person, to fix my problems, to help more people, and to find new ways to be different while creating more success for my family, staff and customers. Are you as hungry as me?"

---

Former UFC ref 'Big' John McCarthy weighs in on Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury

This past weekend, Dana White dropped the bomb that heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou had been released and Jon Jones will be facing Ciryl Gane for the now-vacant title.

Whilst most fans were aware that Ngannou and the UFC had been negotiating for some time, it remained a shock to those in MMA that a deal could not be agreed.

The UFC president confirmed they had offered 'The Predator' a deal to make him the highest paid heavyweight in the organization's history, but would not allow the the 36-year-old to compete in boxing, Ngannou's only stipulation.

The former heavyweight champ has been vying for a superfight against boxing champion Tyson Fury and wanted to do so with the UFC co-promoting the bout, which White refused.

Former octagon referee John McCarthy has weighed in on the situation. As much he he is a fan of the Cameroonian fighter, he doesn't see him having much of a chance vs. Fury should the two meet inside the squared circle:

"He's going to lose. I'm just being honest. I love Francis... everyone's sitting there like, 'He hits the hardest.' Look, Deontay Wilder hits like a f**king truck. Fury is not going to have a problem. He's going to outbox Francis. It's not going to be a good night for Francis."

Catch McCarthy's comments here: