Based on the 2018 data from Nielsen Sports DNA, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is the third most popular sport across the world, after soccer and basketball. There are over 451 million people interested in MMA. Some fans prefer to follow only the most remarkable fights happening globally, while others like to add to the excitement by placing bets on their favorite fighter at top casino sites in Ireland, the UK, Germany, and other countries.
One such memorable event in the MMA world could be the fight between the Italian fighter Davide Scarano and the Irish flyweight fighter Ryan Curtis, set on February 24, 2024. However, the event was canceled because of the incident that happened to Curtis at the beginning of the year. On January 11, the 31-year-old fighter suffered severe neck, spine, and back injuries during his last training session. After that, he has been under the care of medical staff. The first person to reveal Ryan’s incident was his fellow MMA Fighter, Leah McCourt.
McCourt shared a post on her Instagram telling about how serious Ryan Curtis’s injuries are and added that he may not be able to return to his MMA fighting career. According to her, the flyweight fighter has suffered a broken neck, broken back and dislocated spine. During the injury, Ryan’s spinal cord was also traumatized, so the overall damage was classified as the most severe that could ever happen to the spinal cord.
Later, Leah McCourt appeared in “The MMA Hour,” a popular podcast hosted by Ariel Helwani, who interviews top fighters and well-known individuals from the sports industry. In her interview with Helwani, McCourt shared more details about Ryan’s current condition.
Doctors revealed that the fighter’s vertebrae were completely smashed, and such a situation often occurs when falling off a balcony or being in a vehicular accident.
The number of surgeries Ryan Curtis has had so far has not been revealed. The only surgery that was made open to the public was that of a spinal cord, which was done to fix the dislocated spine. Judging from all the injuries and possible complications, it seems that it will take quite a while before Ryan can fully regain his health. It remains uncertain whether the fighter will be able to get back to his previous state and return to the MMA arena. However, at the moment, the most crucial thing for Curtis is to prioritize getting healthy as soon as possible.
In order to help Ryan Curtis with his surgeries and long-term treatment for full recovery, his friends, led by Leah McCourt, have opened a GoFundMe page to collect donations for the fighter. Over 3,300 people have already made contributions, including the popular UFC champion Conor McGregor, who transferred £25,000 to support his colleague. Overall, at the moment of writing, the total amount of money collected is over £136,440. The goal is set at £150,000.
Ryan Curtis — An Overview of Professional Career
Ryan Curtis made his debut as a mixed martial arts fighter back in 2011. His first fight was against Fabio Viti, a professional MMA fighter from Ireland, which he won through a first-round submission. The next professional fight of Curtis took place right after his amateur career at the UK MMA show ICE FC (International Combat Elite Fighting Championship), where he went 3-0 with all first-round finishes, defeating John Spencer, Lewis Loftus, and Reece Sweet.
Overall, Ryan Curtis has competed 10 times as a pro MMA fighter, achieving a professional record of six wins and four losses throughout his career. Before his injury happened, Ryan was at a training camp preparing for his upcoming fight with David Scarano, Cage Conflict 12.