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To begin a discussion of heart for a change: Can you provide examples of cases where a fighter has struggled through serious/permanent injury suffered in a fight to either win or continue (examples of the latter are more readily available, such as Doo Koo Kim and McClellan)? I recall that recently a Korean fighter (whose name I can't recall, forgive me) finished 12 rounds on his feet, even taking the final round if I remember correctly, to win a UD before dying shortly after from brain hemorrhage. By these criteria I mean to exclude general severe cuts or eyes closing during a fight from swelling.
While not related to boxing, a little known story from the early no-holds barred years of MMA should illustrate, and hopefully more examples can be found in boxing:
YUKI NAKAI - A Forgotten Legend
From Wikipedia (with my annotations):
In 1995, as the current Shooto welterweight champion, Nakai was selected by the Shooto Commission to represent Shooto in the Vale Tudo tournament Vale Tudo Japan 1995. His first opponent was Gerard Gordeau (you may recall him from UFC 1), a Dutch Savate fighter. Gordeau illegally eye-gouged Nakai during their fight, causing Nakai to lose vision in his right eye. Despite the eye injury, Nakai proceeded to defeat Gordeau by heel hook in the fourth round. The next fights, on the same night he came out with a bandage on his eye, ready to fight. In his second bout, Nakai defeated the American fighter Craig Pittman by armbar, and in the third and final bout, he lost to the Brazilian Jiu-jiteiro Rickson Gracie by rear naked choke at 6:22 of the first round.
Yuki Nakai became permanently blind in his right eye due to Gerard Gordeau's illegal tactics. For years he kept his blindness a secret to protect the reputation of Vale Tudo. The injury forced Nakai to retire from mixed martial arts competition (as he could no longer compete competitively), but impressed with Rickson Gracie's technique, he took up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where he currently holds a black belt (the first Japanese native to receive the distinction) and is the president of the Japanese Japanese Confederation of Jiu-Jitsu.
He is the current trainer of well-known fighter and Shooto champion Shinya Aoki.
While not related to boxing, a little known story from the early no-holds barred years of MMA should illustrate, and hopefully more examples can be found in boxing:
YUKI NAKAI - A Forgotten Legend
From Wikipedia (with my annotations):
In 1995, as the current Shooto welterweight champion, Nakai was selected by the Shooto Commission to represent Shooto in the Vale Tudo tournament Vale Tudo Japan 1995. His first opponent was Gerard Gordeau (you may recall him from UFC 1), a Dutch Savate fighter. Gordeau illegally eye-gouged Nakai during their fight, causing Nakai to lose vision in his right eye. Despite the eye injury, Nakai proceeded to defeat Gordeau by heel hook in the fourth round. The next fights, on the same night he came out with a bandage on his eye, ready to fight. In his second bout, Nakai defeated the American fighter Craig Pittman by armbar, and in the third and final bout, he lost to the Brazilian Jiu-jiteiro Rickson Gracie by rear naked choke at 6:22 of the first round.
Yuki Nakai became permanently blind in his right eye due to Gerard Gordeau's illegal tactics. For years he kept his blindness a secret to protect the reputation of Vale Tudo. The injury forced Nakai to retire from mixed martial arts competition (as he could no longer compete competitively), but impressed with Rickson Gracie's technique, he took up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where he currently holds a black belt (the first Japanese native to receive the distinction) and is the president of the Japanese Japanese Confederation of Jiu-Jitsu.
He is the current trainer of well-known fighter and Shooto champion Shinya Aoki.
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