Chris Holdsworth
Of all the fighters listed here, Holdsworth sadly stands out as the prime example of the devastating consequences that can befall a fighter who decides to fight despite suffering from a concussion. A member of Team Alpha Male, Holdsworth’s career got off to a dream start. That included winning his first four fights in a row and battling his way to the final of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 18.
Unfortunately, Holdsworth suffered his first-ever concussion in training prior to the TUF Finale. It was a controversial one. Years later, it emerged that TJ Dillashaw had kneed him on top of the head during wrestling practice amid accusations that he was overly-aggressive in training. Many claimed he had done it deliberately.
However, Holdsworth didn’t want to miss his chance at becoming a TUF champion. So he fought Davey Grant anyway and emerged with a second-round submission victory. Next came a fight with Chico Camus. Again Holdsworth suffered a concussion in training. Yet this time he felt a lot worse afterwards. But the TUF champion still chose to fight and actually performed well in a decision victory. The victory was deceiving as Holdsworth was continuing to suffer from post-concussion symptoms. These included eye strain and sensitivity to light and noise. Holdsworth took time out in the hope it would pass. Though he took several years out, he never fully recovered and has not fought since. He is now a Team Alpha Male coach.
