Ian McCall talks injuries, future in UFC: ‘I might never fight again’

UFC flyweight Ian McCall is banged up, but that doesn’t mitigate his desire to step back into the UFC Octagon.

The 31-year-old fighter has been out of commission since a January 2015 defeat against John Lineker at UFC 183, nursing a variety of injuries and attempting to get back to full strength. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, McCall detailed his bumps and bruises, eventually conceding that, like it or not, fighting might not be in his future.

“Just to put it in perspective, I have two bulging discs in my neck and then I have the four-part surgery on my shoulder, I fractured and dislocated my elbow, I got three surgeries, two breaks (in my hand), and I’ve had an infection in this arm,” McCall told Helwani. “So my arm doesn’t work so well. Like, right now, my hand’s kind of numb.

“I just have to be realistic. My body isn’t working very well. I do still train. I train every day, I teach every day. I still beat up on everybody. I just have to take it slow. I don’t know if my body can handle another training camp, because I train hard. Like everybody else, I train really hard. I also train very smart, but I just have a tendency to break. I’ve made peace with it – that I might never fight again – (but) do I want to fight? Of course. I want to fight. I would like nothing more than to fight, but I have to be realistic about it.”

With a daughter and several business opportunities – including a newly launched podcast, Storytime with Uncle Creepy – on hand, McCall must balance what matters against what matters more, and right now, his personal life and his need to heal up is tipping the scales.

“I have a child. I have a life,” McCall said. “My brain still works, so I’m just, you know, taking my time. If it takes until summer, if it takes until next year, if I never fight again, …

continue reading in source www.mmafighting.com