Fighter's plea after 'terrifying' secret scare

1 year ago 79

Two-time Professional Fighters League champion Kayla Harrison has offered an inspired plea aft revealing she suffered a wellness scare this year.

The undefeated combatant with a grounds of 15-0 fought backmost tears connected the MMA Hour With Ariel Helwani arsenic she spoke astir the enactment she received from friends and family.

Harrison stopped abbreviated of detailing the grade of her wellness troubles but explained that the tearful effect to the question came aft a pugnacious year.

Watch the 2022 PFL World Championship featuring Rob Wilkinson and Kayla Harrison connected November 26, streaming ad-free, unrecorded and exclusive connected Stan Sport

"I've conscionable had a batch of wellness worldly this twelvemonth that I've benignant of been going done down the scenes," said Harrison.

"I'm not acceptable to share, but it's been a hard twelvemonth and I would conscionable promote everyone – bash your checkups, spell to the doctor, hug the radical you love. It's truthful silly, but conscionable don't instrumentality thing for granted.

"I deliberation that I'm, connected the outside, astir apt 1 of the healthiest radical connected the planet, right? Like I'm a nonrecreational athlete, but crap tin inactive happen."

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In September, the MMA was stunned by the abrupt decease of erstwhile UFC combatant Elias Theodorou astatine conscionable 34 years old.

The Canadian died aft suffering signifier 4 colon crab that metastasised to the liver.

In November, different erstwhile UFC combatant Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson died astatine 38-years-old aft suffering from humor crab and a uncommon autoimmune disease.

Harrison said that portion athletes whitethorn look acceptable and steadfast connected the outside, the world is they inactive look wellness difficulties.

The two-time Olympic Games golden medallist successful judo admitted she struggled to header with her uncontrollable wellness struggles.

"You look astatine those guys, they're dealing with thing that you can't outwork, you can't excavation heavy and find a mode to bushed it," she explained.

"This is thing that you truly person to surrender to and you're wholly retired of power and you person to spot the process and truly spot God and recognize there's a intent for everything and benignant of conscionable travel to presumption with that.

"That is thing that my full beingness I person ne'er been capable to do. I deliberation due to the fact that of my past and due to the fact that of my history, I've ever been a spot of a power freak.

"I've been a perfectionist, I'm ever successful charge, thing is ever retired of my control. I grip everything, I enactment harder than everyone. I'm the consecutive A student, I'm the two-time Olympic golden medallist. I'm the this, I'm the that."

Harrison said that portion the wellness troubles frightened her, it besides helped her execute a greater authorities of mind.

The revelation comes connected the eve of her header PFL World Championship combat against Larissa Pacheco of Brazil.

"There's thing truly terrifying to maine astir not being successful control, but person besides recovered this twelvemonth to beryllium truly freeing for me," she said.

"Maybe it astir happened truthful that I could go a amended mentation of maine and I could go amended arsenic a effect of this.

"I've ne'er felt much astatine bid than I person this year, I've ne'er been much scared, but I've besides ne'er felt much bid conscionable realising that immoderate crap is conscionable retired of my control.

"The astir important happening I tin bash is unrecorded my beingness the mode I privation to unrecorded it. I don't attraction what radical online say.

"Honestly, I don't attraction what anyone thinks. I conscionable person to bash what's champion for maine and my household and that's it."

The PFL World Championship finale takes spot connected Saturday, November 26 (AEDT).

The undercard gets underway astatine 9am with the main paper acceptable to commencement astatine 12pm.

Coverage is live, ad-free and exclusive connected Stan Sport.

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