Ramiz Brahimaj’s recovery from severe spinal cord injury is truly inspiring.
Brahimaj has not fought since February 2022, when he defeated Michael Gilmour in a first-round submission. Brahimaj was scheduled to fight Carlston Harris in February 2023, but was sidelined due to his neck injury. The 31-year-old is set to finally make his return on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 241 against Themba Golimbo. Brahimaj recently detailed his own injury in an interview with MMAMAnia.com.
“I tore my brachial plexus and tore my C-5 with spinal stenosis and disc damage. It set me back quite a bit, dude. I dealt with a lot of things, things like that So it really limited my arm function and ability for about two or three months and it kept happening. So it sucked, but I’m here, I’m happy. Yo.”
Brahimaj was injured during wrestling practice. Most of the first doctors he saw recommended surgery, but Brahimaj was skeptical about going under the knife.
“Well, I was wrestling…and it just happened,” Brahimaj said. “I think I went through four different doctors. Three of them actually wanted to do the surgery. They wanted to do a fusion and use an artificial disc. I heard a lot of different things. And there was nothing I wanted to hear…I remember saying to them, “Listen, I’m 30 years old.” I have no intention of doing so. I’m not going to get surgery and put myself back together that much. I plan to find a way to recover without surgery. ”
Brahimaj instead chose to seek more knowledge about his injury and eventually met a doctor who prescribed intensive physical therapy and left surgery as a last resort. .
“So I started getting deeper into the world of spine, C-5, neck, etc.,” he added. “The doctor I actually met here in Dallas was a great doctor and he assured me that his last plan was to put me under the knife. He said, ‘We’re going to do a lot of grueling physical therapy.’ Told. It will take time, but I hope you will believe me. ” He helped me when I was doing research on my own about the brachial plexus and everything. It took a while, but I think it was the right choice. And the function of my arm and the function of my body… everything returned to normal. To me, it’s miraculous, you know, it’s very miraculous. ”
The Fortis MMA product also revealed that he was considering retiring from the sport during the physically exhausting process.
“I had a whole letter written to me,” he said. “Two weeks ago, I looked at that letter with disgust, because looking back on it now, it was dark. Last year was really dark and I didn’t know what was going to happen. Progress was slow. But there were days when I woke up and said, “Hmm, I don’t feel well.” I felt like I was always trying to find something to cheer me up. Because during that time, I certainly felt like I was drowning, and I think that’s really what happened. It made me very strong mentally. It just opened my eyes to a lot of things. ”
Last year was a tough year for Brahimaj, but it was his love for the sport and his teammates that kept him going.
“I want you to understand that it’s a time-consuming process, whether it’s physical therapy or spinal injections or trigger point injections. It tested my patience a lot,” he said. “It gave me a new love and respect for my job. And, you know, I think I took fighting for granted, it humbled me and opened my eyes. I woke up.
“I started to really appreciate what I have and most importantly, outside of fighting, the body and physical attributes that I am lucky enough to have.
“I couldn’t pull a 5-pound band for about two months. I was getting ready to fight Carlston Harris and I was physically very strong in that camp. At that point I was now “And within a week, which I’ll never forget, everything took a turn for the worse. I was legitimately brought to my knees. It was the most depressing moment. But I think being around the team, coach Saif Saud, being around the game and the fighters essentially saved me. It may sound crazy, but it saved my life.”
