'I Was One Punch Away From Getting Paralyzed'
10/30/2024 06:05 PM
"The Prince" saw the end of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career flash before his eyes.
No. 3 ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight Amir Albazi returns to action at UFC Edmonton this weekend (Sat., Nov. 2, 2024) against former two-time UFC Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, which goes down inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Albazi has been out of action for 16 months, and it was a huge process to get back as he dealt with a potential career-ending injury.
"Before my Kai Kara-Fance fight, I was struggling with some health issues, and I didn't really know what it was, but after my fight, it showed that I had something called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)," Albazi told media at UFC Edmonton media day (watch here). "It's basically an irregular heartbeat. My heart rate would go up to 239, so I had to do a heart surgery.
Albazi revealed after heart surgery; the health problems did not stop.
"After the heart surgery, I kept training for the fight against Brandon Moreno in Mexico City, and then my left arm literally stopped. I couldn't lift my arm up, I couldn't jab, I couldn't do anything, but I still kept training," Albazi said. "After I got my first MRI, the first doctor said, 'You shouldn't be fighting anymore. Find a 9-to-5.' I kept going to different doctors, 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 I was one punch away from getting paralyzed. So, after that surgery, here I am."
Albazi's 16-month layoff is the longest of his UFC career, and it derailed his chance for a title shot for the time being. However, with a win over Moreno this weekend, there is a good chance he could get a shot in his next outing.
"The Prince" is riding a six-fight win streak and is perfect thus far in UFC at 5-0.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Edmonton fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+preliminary card matchups which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+at 7 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Edmonton news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized "Moreno vs. Albazi" fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.
