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While trading punches and shedding blood, sweat, and tears inside the UFC octagon, competitors sometimes form a bond that might stay on for the rest of their lives. This is what happened between former opponents Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher.
Spencer and Stout were part of a memorable and rare non-title trilogy during their time in the UFC. Now, years later, in a heartwarming gesture, Stout has set up a fundraiser to help out his ailing former rival. The online fundraiser started by Stout earlier this week aims to raise money for Fisher's medication costs and other needs.
Initially, Stout planned to raise at least $2000 but double that amount has already been raised by people donating to help out the man who left it all in the octagon. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Stout said that the fundraiser is only a short-term solution to Fisher's problem, which is very serious:
“It’s great to get him a couple thousand bucks, but it’s a short-term solution. It’s pretty sad to see.”
While casual UFC fans might not recognize Spencer Fisher, hardcore fans most definitely will. Spencer entertained UFC viewers for seven years as a fighter who wasn't afraid to perish inside the cage.
Having taken numerous punches to the head from world-class fighters over the years, Spencer Fisher fell prey to severe brain trauma. He was forced to retire in 2013 when doctors discovered lesions on his brain during a pre-fight medical scan. Since then, Fisher has been plagued with several health issues ranging from memory loss to depression and various cognitive difficulties.
The injuries Fisher suffered during his career have turned his life around for the worse. His current symptoms indicate a high-possibility of him being diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which is brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas. He has also been declared permanently disabled and incapable of working.
Is the UFC completely transparent about the brain injuries its athletes suffer?
When his fighting career came to a sudden end in 2013 due to the discovery of lesions in his brain, the UFC initially agreed to cover the expenses for Fisher's treatment. He was also signed to a three-year contract by the promotion for doing some PR work and received $5000 every month until 2017.
In January 2017, the UFC ended the contract with Fisher and since then, the former fan-favorite has been finding it difficult to sustain his family as well as pay for his treatment. The Fisher family's only means of income right now is the part-time job Spencer's wife Emily does at a hospital.
All of this time, Fisher didn't let anyone know about his steadily deteriorating health condition, worried that the promotion might stop helping him out. However, four years after the contract with the UFC ran out, and after being ignored by Dana White on numerous occasions, Fisher chose to finally speak up.
Dana White frequently harps on about the fact that there have been zero cases of death or serious injury in the UFC. That adds a lot of credibility to the sport once referred to as 'human cockfighting' in its early stages. But the alarming situation surrounding Fisher's health following retirement is a cause for concern.
Until Fisher revealed the sorry situation he is currently in, a lot of people were surprisingly unaware of the life-threatening risks involved in the fight game. When asked to comment on the matter at a press conference ahead of UFC Fight Island 7, White acknowledged that brain issues are a part of the MMA gig.
He further stated that Fisher isn't the first person to suffer from severe brain trauma and he won't be the last:
“Listen, we’re all learning everyday about the brain injury stuff,” White told MMA Junkie. “We’ve been invested in this [Lou] Ruvo Center [at the Cleveland Clinic] to try and figure out more. We’re now interested in this thing just came out on Real Sports about psychedelics and we’ve actually reached out to the Johns Hopkins guys and we’re diving into that. But listen, he’s not the first and he’s definitely not going to be the last. This is a contact sport and anybody who’s done this younger, myself included, is dealing with brain issues. It’s part of the gig.”
Dana White should introduce a long-term health care plan for fighters like Spencer Fisher, claims Stout
Stout says he has kept in touch with Fisher over the years and considers himself lucky to be in relatively good health. However, even Stout takes medication for depression and anxiety, conditions which he believes weren't present before he started fighting professionally. He further stated that it is of the utmost importance that the UFC provides long-term health care for unfortunate fighters like Fisher:
“I think some things need to change. There’s more information coming to light about CTE and the lasting effects of head injuries. I think ongoing medical coverage for the fighters should be part of their expenses that they need to factor into their business. Sometimes I think they worry about the bottom line more than the people that are making their company the great powerhouse that it is. I think it’s not right and something needs to change.”
Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher fought each other for the first time at UFC 58: USA vs Canada in 2006. Stout emerged victorious in a back-and-forth high octane battle that impressed Dana White. The rematch which took place at UFC Fight Night: Stout vs Spencer in 2007 went to Fisher, and the pair settled their rivalry in a trilogy fight at UFC on FX back in 2012 which saw Stout claim the bragging rights with a unanimous decision win.
Incidentally, it was the last time Spencer Fisher competed inside the UFC octagon.
