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Sam Stout and Spencer Fisher battled three times under the UFC banner, with Stout winning at UFC 58 and UFC On FX 4, while Fisher won at UFC Fight Night 10.
Fisher, who is reportedly battling symptoms that are consistent with a potential future CTE diagnosis, is being helped by Stout, who recently launched a Go Fund Me to help his rival with out of pocket medical costs.
“It’s great to get him a couple thousand bucks, but it’s a short-term solution,” Stout told MMA Fighting. “It’s pretty sad to see.”
As of this writing, a total of $6,328 has been raised for Fisher, which is more than three times the asking amount Stout set, which was $2,000.
There was a time when the UFC was paying Fisher $5,000 a month for public relations work, but the former fighter’s contract wasn’t renewed when the UFC was purchased by WME-IMG in 2016.
Stout also wishes that the UFC would help by providing some form of long term care for Fisher and other fighters.
“It’s always a risky thing to say anything about the UFC’s practices, but we’re talking about a guy that I’ve got a bond with that’s going to last the rest of our lives,” he said. “Spencer’s earned my respect almost more than any other man walking this planet. Just to see him twisting in the wind with no help, it’s really hard for me to watch, because it could have been me.
“I think some things need to change. There’s more information coming to light about CTE and the lasting effects of head injuries. I think ongoing medical coverage for the fighters should be part of their expenses that they need to factor into their business. Sometimes I think they worry about the bottom line more than the people that are making their company the great powerhouse that it is. I think it’s not right and something needs to change.”
UFC President Dana White has previously stated that Fisher and other fighters like him are not the first or the last fighter who will be dealing with CTE related issues. The promotion recently did announce a $1 million funding, spread out over five years, to the Professional Athlete Brain Health Study.
