The world of mixed martial arts (MMA) and UFC is one of unparalleled athleticism, discipline, and risk. Fighters dedicate their lives to honing their skills, pushing their bodies to the limit in pursuit of glory and recognition. However, the intense nature of the sport means that injuries are commonplace, and in some tragic cases, these injuries can lead to life-altering paralysis. Here are some stories of fighters who have faced such devastating consequences, shedding light on the risks inherent in the sport and the long road to recovery.
Worldwide, the sport has seen astronomical growth since 2005 under UFC’s marketing and leadership. In Northern California, aspiring fighters and fitness buffs pack MMA training gyms. Locally held bouts have set attendance records. The unrivaled violence is part of the growing appeal of MMA to fighters and fans.
The Story of Devin Johnson: A Dream Cut Short
Devin Johnson's story is a stark reminder of the potential for catastrophic injury in MMA. Johnson was 22 and his first professional fight was a mere four months away in his hometown of Yuba City. He was caught in a guillotine chokehold, an effective counter to a double-leg takedown.
Johnson’s head is pulled into his opponent’s right hip. Johnson torques his body and struggles to break free, but he’s being yanked forward and down. He feels his chin being pushed into his chest. Johnson hears the impact. The sound is unfamiliar, but reminds him of a car windshield shattering.
Johnson’s head slamming the floor while bent in the chokehold broke his neck. The human spine has seven cervical vertebrae running up to the base of the skull. Typically, the higher the break on the neck, the greater loss of movement. Kim said the diagnosis was clear. Johnson had a complete spinal cord injury.
Read also: Evolution of UFC Combat
The surgery took five hours. Kim removed a spinal disc from the front of Johnson’s neck and put in a cadaver bone graft with a plate and screws. The surgery was a success by medical standards. But for Johnson’s loved ones, even optimistic scenarios were devastating.
He fights to maneuver his wheelchair around his one-bedroom apartment near American River College. He fights to figure out a new career path. His new life comes with a full-time caregiver who provides support for daily tasks such as showering. “It sucks having to ask for stuff,” Johnson said. “That’s the worst part of this life.
But he has hope. While he can’t walk, he’s regained limited use of his trunk, arms and hands. Johnson wants more movement in his left hand, which remains curled and clawlike. But mostly, he wants out of his wheelchair.
Prichard Colón: A Promising Career Derailed
Prichard Colón Meléndez, born on September 19, 1992, was a Puerto Rican professional boxer with a promising career. He was an honorary WBC World Champion and a gold medalist at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship. Colón made his professional debut on February 23, 2013. His first fight was against Xavier La Salle at the Cosme Beitía Salamo Coliseum in Cataño, Puerto Rico. Colón knocked out LaSalle in the first round. Colón distinguished himself for his restless schedule. He fought five times in 2013 and 7 times in 2014.
On October 17, 2015, Colón faced Terrel Williams in an undercard fight. Throughout the match, Williams repeatedly punched Colón in the back of the head despite this being illegal. During the bout, Colón repeatedly informed the referee, Joe Cooper, about the illegal punches, but the referee dismissed Colón’s pleas and told him, “You take care of it.”
Read also: From UFC to BKFC: Mike Perry's Journey
After multiple illegal blows, Colón was knocked down for the first time in his professional career during the ninth round. Colón spoke to the ringside doctor between the rounds and stated he felt dizzy, but felt he could go on. The ringside doctor, Richard Ashby, believed that Colón was going to “shake it off” and cleared him, allowing the fight to continue.
Colón was disqualified after the ninth round, when his corner mistakenly removed his gloves thinking it was the end of the fight. Colón's corner claimed he was incoherent and experiencing dizziness. Colón was assisted to the dressing room by his mother, after which he vomited and collapsed.
Colón was then taken to hospital via ambulance and was diagnosed with a left-sided subdural hematoma. He remained in a coma for 221 days due to a brain hemorrhage. He was then in a persistent vegetative state and unable to speak. In 2023, his family, particularly his mother Nieves, continue to work with him whilst Colón continues rehabilitation.
Legal Battles and Aftermath
In 2017, the parents of Prichard Colón filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the ringside doctor and the promoters for more than $50 million. The lawsuit has still not been settled as of 2025, and never brought to trial. In a September 2017 interview, while discussing his role in Colón's injury, Williams said "I pray for Prichard every day. That's never going to change. I wish him nothing but peace and health... I would never intentionally harm someone like that... I don’t place any blame on myself. I prayed about it. I wish the young man really well.
The Story of Prichard Colon - A Boxing Tragedy
Jan Blachowicz: A Close Call
Not all injuries lead to permanent paralysis, but they can still be terrifying and career-threatening. Jan Blachowicz, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, experienced a “scary” situation when preparing for a fight. Blachowicz was forced to withdraw from UFC Columbus due to an injury, and he later disclosed the terrifying nature of a training moment that left him temporarily paralyzed.
Read also: Greatest WWE Wrestlers
According to the ex-UFC light heavyweight champion, the issue occurred without any real provocation. The pain simply showed up in his neck one morning and progressively got worse throughout the day during training. “I wake up [on] one of the Mondays, and I feel a pain in my neck,” Blachowicz explained to MMA Fighting. “I think maybe I just slept bad, and that’s why I felt the pain.
“In the gym, we did some drills, and I took one shot on my guard, and I felt a really hard pain in my neck, and I cannot feel my left hand and left side of my body. It was completely off, paralyzed. Then I think, it’s not a normal pain. It’s something worse. I go to the doctor, we do an MRI and I have something [a disc] in my neck that puts pressure on the nerve. That’s why I had this feeling that I could not feel my left side.
After an initial examination combined with the results of the MRI, Blachowicz was injected with medicine to help relieve the pressure on his spine, which in turn returned all of the feeling to his extremities.
Recovery and Perspective
Thankfully, the medicine along with rehabilitation helped Blachowicz return to full health and now he’s back in training camp to prepare for his showdown. While the recovery from the problem with his neck allowed Blachowicz to back to training rather quickly, he still feels he made the right call by not fighting Rakic as scheduled in March, when they were expected to headline UFC Columbus.
“Maybe a couple of years, I would do everything to do this fight, but now, I’m a little bit older, a little bit smarter,” Blachowicz said. “I cannot do stuff like that. After my UFC career, there is still life to do, living with my son and stuff like this so now first of all, I have to be healthy and then I can fight. I will not risk my health to doing that. First of all, I need to be healthy and then I can do the fights.”
These stories underscore the immense physical risks that fighters face every time they step into the ring or the octagon. While the sport offers the potential for great reward, it also carries the risk of devastating, life-altering injuries. The courage and resilience of these athletes, both in and out of the ring, serve as an inspiration, and their experiences highlight the need for continued advancements in safety measures and support systems for fighters.