Midnight Mania! Retired UFC fighter to donate brain to science after frightening symptoms — ‘might be CTE’

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Julie Kedzie (16-13) isn’t a reputation each informal struggle fan would acknowledge, however “Fireball” is well-respected by these within the know as a pioneer in ladies’s MMA. She began preventing professionally in 2004, nearly a decade before Ronda Rousey introduced women’s MMA to the UFC and mainstream media alike. Throughout her 29-fight profession, Kedzie confronted most of the period’s high names, athletes like Miesha Tate, Tara LaRosa, and Gina Carano.

Sadly, all that competitors might have come at a value.

Kedzie just lately revealed to BBC Sport that she struggles with insomnia, despair, nervousness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness since her 2013 retirement, which got here on the heels of a four-fight shedding streak in Strikeforce and UFC. These are all attainable signs of power traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and Kedzie believes she has it.

“Sorry I misplaced monitor of your query,” Kedzie mentioned at one level through the interview. “That may be CTE.”

Because of her signs, Kedzie revealed that she intends to donate her mind for autopsy analysis.

“It appears a really regular factor to do,“ she defined. “I’ve been hit within the head so much so we’d as nicely see what’s in there and get some good out of it for information. If there’s a approach that I can nonetheless hold pushing on this area [of mixed martial arts] and advancing the reason for ladies, then yeah.”

She later continued, “I need to give again to the ladies on this sport as a result of there are all these research on male athletes’ brains and there may be one thing utterly completely different from a feminine athlete’s perspective.”

There may be at the moment no remedy or therapy for CTE, which might result in dementia because it slowly (or shortly) grows worse. There’s been some progress basically understanding of the situation (despite one former champion declaring CTE fake), which has affected what number of fighters prepare and put together within the trendy period, however plenty of the older generations of athletes are really struggling. Not too long ago, sudden head trauma has forced athletes into early retirements.

“I really like this sport a lot and I would like it to be higher,” Kedzie concluded. “If you happen to keep on this sport lengthy sufficient you’ll endure. Athletes should be protected.”

Insomnia

An old style martial arts photograph with a few legends:

A easy clarification, nevertheless it gave me a chuckle.

Does Aliaskhab Khizriev enhance to 15-0 or will “Mach” get it finished? Stable 185-pound reserving.

Matt Brown confirmed legend of the game and smart sage of MMA. Just say no to junior varsity headlock throws!

Any predictions for who Roman Dolidze’s primary occasion opponent may very well be? Given UFC’s current bizarre run of unrequested rematch reserving, I really feel prefer it’ll be one thing foolish like Marvin Vettori.

A pleasant little bit of instruction from the previous world champion Aljamain Sterling.

Anecdote of the week: I cornered one among my crew mates just a few years in the past, and after the win, his leg was wrecked. I didn’t have to hold him, however fortune smiled upon us after we discovered a battered laptop chair in a random San Francisco alleyway, so I spent a while wheeling him round!

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Melvin Manhoef is among the strongest hitters to ever strap on four-ounce gloves.

That was an UNFORTUNATE time to lose the mouthpiece. Undecided how I missed this one when it occurred, however that’s an totally brutal KO.

Saenchai and Buakaw actually threw down regardless of their friendship in a naked knuckle struggle. That’s hardcore!

Random Land

A really cool time lapse.

Midnight Music: Indie rock, 2014

Sleep nicely Maniacs! Extra martial arts insanity is all the time on the best way.