"I hope he gets help, this is incredibly sad" - Fans left concerned over former UFC fighter's gradual speech deterioration over the years

MMA fans are concerned over the health of former UFC fighter Nam Phan.

A video doing the rounds on social media has shown the severe deterioration of Phan's speech over the years. This left many fans shocked to learn that the 39-year-old is still competing in martial arts.

Phan made his UFC debut at the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 12 in 2010, losing via a narrow split decision to Leonard Garcia. The American fighter never quite managed to make an impression during his time in the promotion, leaving with just two wins under his belt across eight octagon appearances.

The veteran then found his way into organizations such as Bellator and Pancrase, winning the featherweight title under the latter banner during his time there. He retired from MMA in 2017 following three consecutive losses, but has continued competing in boxing and Muay Thai.

Watch the video comparisons of Nam Phan's speech here:

MMA fans have reacted to the footage of Nam Phan, with one individual expressing their concern for his health:

"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."

A Reddit users comment

Another fan was shocked to learn that Phan is still competing and couldn't believe he was able to pass medical checks.

"He's still fighting. Fought Muay Thai recently. Don't know how he's getting past any pre fight physical."

One fan surprised to see Nam Phan is passing medical checks

Check out more fan reactions below:

The rest of the fan reaction

---

UFC president Dana White's response to questions over CTE and brain injuries

Dana White once gave a cold reaction when asked about fighters suffering from CTE and brain injuries. His response came after the announcement that former fighter Spencer Fisher had been diagnosed with both.

Fisher, best known for his 17-fight tenure with the UFC, retired in 2013 after several brain scans revealed abnormalities. The UFC president was asked about Fisher's diagnosis in an interview with MMA Junkie. He explained that while they are funding research into that area, brain injuries are part of the job:

"Listen, we are all learning every day about the brain injury stuff. We have been investing in this [Lou] Ruvo Center to try to figure out more. We are now interested [about] this thing just came out on 'Real Sports' about psychedelics, and we have actually reached out to the Johns Hopkins guys, and we're diving into that."

White added:

"But listen, [Fisher] is not the first, and he is definitely not going to be the last. This is a contact sport, and everybody who has ever done this [while] younger, myself included, is dealing with brain issues. It is just part of the gig."

Watch a video of Spencer Fisher's diagnosis here: