Fans have voiced their concern for MMA veteran Nam Phan after a video emerged showing the deterioration of his speech over the past decade.
Phan, 39, has been competing for over 20 years and was once a top prospect in MMA, challenging for the Strikeforce title against fellow veteran Josh Thomson but losing by decision. He reached the semi-finals of The Ultimate Fighter season 12 but was eliminated from the competition by Michael Johnson. Phan clearly impressed the UFC as he was awarded a contract with the promotion despite the loss.
The American fought in the UFC for four years but was eventually cut by the promotion after losing six of his eight fights, going on to compete on the regional circuit in Japan for Pancrase and also for Bellator in the US. Phan was choked out in 29-seconds in his final MMA fight six years ago, but has since transitioned to muay thai and boxing. Phan's last fight took place in July as he competed in the main event of a regional muay thai event in Burbank, California.
What are your thoughts on Nam Phan's speech deteriorating? Let us know in the comments section below
All of Phan's fighting experience over the years has clearly taken a toll on him, as a recent video emerged of him struggling to get his words out. The video also showed clips of Phan speaking after his UFC fights that took place a decade ago, with his speech being drastically clearer than now. One fan reacted to Phan's speech problems by writing: "He has a Youtube Channel, his comment section at the very least is filled with people who seem genuinely concerned for him. I hope he gets help, this is incredibly sad."
"He's basically been fed to the wolves and now his brain is paying for it, unfortunately, the toothpaste is now out of the tube," another user wrote. "The fact that this guy goes to a gym and people allow him to spar and compete is actually absurd where is his family? Friends? Genuinely heartbreaking to see this," a third user added.
In one of his YouTube videos uploaded earlier this year, Phan admitted that some of his close friends and family members are worried about his brain health and advised him to stop fighting. Despite being two decades deep into his career, Phan insisted he trains every day and still feels good when sparring young fighters in the gym.
"Some of my family members thought it was a bad idea for me to get back into fighting, they don't want me to get hit in the head anymore. I agree and disagree with what they're saying, I still feel good and do very well sparring young guys. I don't want for when I'm older to look back and blame them for the reason why I didn't go back and fight," Phan said.
