A UFC star recently opened up about the time he was supposedly one punch away from being paralyzed. The same fighter went on to headline a record-setting event around a year after he faced major health setbacks.
The athlete in question is Iraq-born flyweight fighter Amir Albazi. 'The Prince' notably defeated Kai Kara-France via split decision at UFC Vegas 74 back in June 2023.
Albazi felt something wrong with his health before that fight. After his victory, he subsequently realized that he had an abnormally high heart rate. He was diagnosed with a heart disorder, "supraventricular tachycardia." He then underwent surgery for the disease that's characterized by irregular heartbeat.
Subsequently, Albazi was to fight former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno at the UFC Mexico City card in February 2024 but withdrew due to a neck injury. He underwent surgery for that as well and was sidelined from training for six months.
The 31-year-old finally returned against Moreno in the UFC Edmonton card's headliner at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Nov. 2, 2024. 'The Prince' was beaten via unanimous decision.
The card also featured fighters like former two-time women's strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Per Aaron Bronsteter, UFC Edmonton was a record-setting event, the highest-grossing Fight Night card for the promotion in North America, amassing a $2,600,463 gate with an attendance of 16,439.
During his pre-fight media scrum in Edmonton, Amir Albazi recounted the health hurdles he overcame. He recalled getting heart surgery after the Kara-France fight, almost being paralyzed due to his neck issues before his Mexico City withdrawal, and more:
"I had to do a heart surgery. So coming back from that heart surgery, I kept training, and then my left arm literally stopped. I couldn't lift my arm up. I couldn't jab. I couldn't do anything. And when the UFC doctors found out, they literally pulled me out of the fight, and I had to go straight into surgery. They told me, 'You're like, one punch away from actually getting paralyzed.'"
He added:
"So after that surgery, here I am; the longest break in my career, actually, athletic career. And I'm just grateful. I'm taking it step by step. It's been just, obstacles after obstacles. I'm a big believer in God. So I believe that my path is written."
Check out snippets from Amir Albazi's explanation of his health issues below:
Check out Amir Albazi's media scrum below (17:40):
UFC flyweight Amir Albazi was advised to quit fighting due to health issues
During a recent conversation with Shakiel Mahjouri, Amir Albazi addressed various topics, including the daunting health problems he's battled before and after his marquee victory over Kai Kara-France last year.
'The Prince' explained that he consulted various doctors to help deal with his health issues. He suggested that after the fight, he'd even been advised to step away from his fighting career altogether because of damage to his spinal cord. Nevertheless, Albazi expressed his gratitude for being able to rebuild himself against all odds and returning to the octagon in a headlining spot:
"Some doctor says, 'Hey, you should call it quits. Like, your spinal cord is damaged that's why you can't move your arm.'"
Check out Amir Albazi's discuss the topic below (3:50 and 5:50):