Former UFC star Darren Stewart thought he was being pranked by someone when he received a call regarding his ongoing hip treatment.
During his career in the UFC, Darren Stewart made a name for himself for being an extremely gritty and tough fighter, picking up several big wins during his time in the premier MMA promotion.
‘The Dentist’ fought 14 times in the UFC, accumulating a record of 5-7 with two no contests, before being cut from the promotion in 2021 following a loss to Dustin Jacoby.
Following that, the Brit returned to Cage Warriors, where he started his career, before turning his attention to the world of boxing, where he recently fought former UFC title contender Darren Till.
Some notable names have transitioned from MMA to boxing💸
Darren Stewart thought he was being pranked by recent UFC phone-call
This past December, the 35-year-old took to social media asking his fans for any donations on his GoFundMe page, detailing the ongoing injuries he is suffering from after years of fighting.
“This is the hardest fight I’ve ever faced. Years of MMA have left me with stage 4 arthritis and a torn hip labrum, and now I’m in constant pain. Some days I struggle to walk… And the hardest part is not being able to play with my kids the way I want to,” Stewart said.
The former UFC star went on to reveal that the ‘essential costs’ to get a full hip replacement are £10,000-15,000, and that he cannot afford to pay for it all himself.
And it is not only his fans he has received support from. This Sunday, Stewart took to social media to reveal that he recently received a call from the UFC, telling him they are going to pay for his full hip replacement surgery.
“I got a phone-call a few weeks ago, someone called me from the UFC and said, ‘Look, we’re gonna help you, we saw your situation online’, I said, ‘Why me?’ I had just woken up from my nap, I thought it was a prank call,” Stewart explained in a video on his TikTok page.
“I don’t know where to start. The UFC saw my GoFundMe. They heard my story. They saw the struggle. After speaking with and meeting with UFC officials and private surgeons, my hip replacement surgery is booked and it’s being fully funded by the UFC.
“I can’t properly articulate the mix of emotions right now – relief, fear, gratitude, and disbelief. I’ve spent so long in pain, feeling vulnerable, feeling like my body was failing me… And now there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel,” he continued.
This isn’t the first time the UFC has paid for former fighters’ medical bills
Although it seems extremely surprising that the promotion would pay for a former fighter’s medical expenses, it isn’t the first time they have done such a thing.
When former UFC flyweight fighter Muhammad Mokaev got involved in a car crash, the UFC paid for his medical bills, much to his surprise.
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