UFC legend Frank Shamrock to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation to help aid in CTE research
MMA icon Frank Shamrock announced that he is donating his brain to help aid in the study of CTE.
Shamrock, the first-ever UFC light heavyweight champion, went 23-10-2 over the course of his 15-year career. Last competing in 2009, Frank Shamrock has been a strong advocate for brain health in recent years. In a lengthy social media post, the California native announced that he would be doing his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization that “works to advance studies into brain trauma in athletes and other significant at-risk groups.”
How Frank Shamrock Hopes to Help Advance CTE Research
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, is a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions and repeated blows to the head. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, individuals who have experienced TBI in their early to midlife face a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.
Despite being a hot-button issue in sports over the last two decades, CTE research still has a long way to go as a diagnosis of CTE can only be made after death. There is also no cure for the fatal brain disease if an individual shows symptoms that include memory loss and thinking problems, confusion, and erratic behavior.
Frank Shamrock hopes to help advance the research of CTE so that we can better understand the signs and effects, particularly for those who compete in contact sports like football, boxing, and mixed martial arts.
Throughout his illustrious career, Frank Shamrock set a series of records that still stand to this very day. Aside from being the first fighter to win championships in the UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce, Shamrock still holds the record for the fastest submission in UFC light heavyweight history, coming just 16 seconds into his UFC Japan bout against Kevin Jackson in 1997. Shamrock also holds the distinction of headlining the promotion’s first event in Brazil.
Frank Shamrock squared off with other notable legends inside the Octagon such as Jeremy Horn, Tito Ortiz, Renzo Gracie, Phil Baroni, Cung Le, and Nick Diaz.
