MMA Fighter’s Biggest Match Was Against Blood Disorder

Mixed martial artist (MMA) Joe Ellenberger has been fighting for as long as he can remember.  Five years ago he obtained an offer to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) which was his end all goal.  What is interesting about Ellenberger is that he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder in 2009 – a disease that destroys body’s red blood cells. This disorder called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) occurs between the ages of 20-40 and close to 8,000 people currently have this diagnosis in the United States. At the time of his diagnosis, the research pointed towards Ellenberger not living past 30 and the opportunity for participating in UFC dwindled due to the recommendation of no contact sports with PNH.

Joe is currently able to fight due to the pharmaceutical that was known at one point as the most expensive drug in the world (over $400,000 per patient) – Soliris.  Once Ellenberger passed medical exams in states and countries that the UFC went for fights, the organization had no concerns about his fitness to compete in the cage.

“Joe is an inspiration to other PNH patients, especially the younger ones,” says Judith Paulette, the committee chair and former president of the PNH Research and Support Foundation. “When they get this diagnosis, they are pretty disoriented to begin with. It often comes out of the blue, and what your life plans were seem to be totally in disarray…To hear from someone who has navigated that and decided, ‘No, I don’t have to give up what I love to do,’ that’s really exciting for them to see that example.” According to Ben Fowlkes of USA TODAY, Ellenberger serves on the foundation’s patient committee, and one of his roles is to call young patients to lend support and guidance after a diagnosis – “to his fellow PNH sufferers, his fight career is about more than wins and losses.”

“If I can fight in the UFC, it shows that we can overcome a lot of this adversity we’ve been dealt,” Ellenberger says. “We just have to do it the right way and not give up.”

Ellenberger will take on James Moontasri at UFC Fight Night 44 in San Antonio this Saturday.  Best of luck Joe.

Photo Credit – Jerry Chavez/Victory Fighting Championship/Ultimate Fighting Championships/Soliris 

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