"That is tragic" - Fans react to heartbreaking footage of CTE affecting UFC veteran's speech over 11 years of fighting

A poignant compilation video showcasing UFC veteran Nam Phan's speech impairment, likely due to brain damage sustained over years of fighting, recently went viral on social media. Brain injuries in combat sports, especially within the UFC, have become a subject of growing alarm in recent years.

The high-impact nature of these sports, involving repeated strikes to the head, elevates the risk of concussions and long-term neurological damage.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma, has become a major focus of combat sports research due to the serious health risks fighters face.

The circulating video on X, shared by the account 'Fury's Fight Picks', vividly showcases the deterioration of Phan's speech from 2011 to 2022.

Check out the video below:

Once fluent and precise, the 41-year-old Vietnamese-American's speech has become noticeably impaired and sluggish, eliciting a range of reactions from the MMA community. Many have expressed concerns about CTE, attributing the decline to the years Phan spent sparring and fighting.

One fan wrote:

"That is tragic."

Another fan suggested that fighters should consider alternative careers to mitigate these risks:

"So, in a nutshell, choose a different career because it’s definitely not worth it. (In my opinion)."

Check out some more reactions below:

Credits: @LucaFury on X

Phan's brief tenure in the UFC, from 2010 to 2013, was not particularly successful, although he did earn Fight of the Night honors thrice and ended with a 2-6 record. He has also fought in other organizations, such as Bellator MMA and Pancrase, holding a professional record of 21-17.

Phan also competed in 12 boxing matches and retired from active competition in 2018 with a 3-8-1 record. His final bout ended in a unanimous decision defeat to Leonardo Ruiz.

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When Hunter Campbell allegedly admitted to suspected CTE among UFC fighters

Combat sports regulatory lawyer Erik Magraken has claimed that last August, UFC's Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell indirectly confirmed the existence of suspected CTE in certain fighters.

In the wake of Campbell's reported admission, the well-being of fighters come under increased scrutiny. Fans were quick to highlight alarming instances of brain injuries, particularly in the cases of Vicente Luque and Spencer Fisher.

In August 2022, during his fight with Geoff Neal, Luque suffered a brain bleed. Meanwhile, Fisher's career tragically ended in 2013 when pre-fight medical scans revealed lesions on his brain.