Unfortunately, it doesn’t get better for Gary Goodridge.
Retired heavyweight Gary Goodridge was a star in the combat sports world. His supremely violent performances in Pride FC, the UFC, and K-1 often brought stadiums of people to their feet, but it came at a cost.
In 2012, he was diagnosed with degenerative dementia, a type of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) caused by repeated blows to the head. Last year, he spoke to Inside MMA about how his life has changed following the diagnosis which doctors have confirmed will only get progressively worse.
“I truly honestly believe that if it wasn’t for the pills I’m taking, my life would have been done a long time ago.”
“Oh absolutely. I would have taken my life. Absolutely.”
Memory loss, speech issues and emotional outbursts are just everyday occurrences for Goodridge, who admits has been ‘crippled’ by the disease. He kept a video diary for a month of his experiences dealing with his condition, which you can check out below.
“I could get a job. I’d forget I had a job. You constantly forget on a daily basis all the time.”
https://twitter.com/garyhgoodridge/status/932034690491539457
Check out the full piece from AXS TV in the video embedded below.
