UFC
TUF winner Chris Holdsworth says lingering concussion issues have kept him sidelined since UFC 173
Jan 16, 2015 - 11:55:47 AM TUF winner Chris Holdsworth says lingering concussion issues have kept him sidelined since UFC 173

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Ultimate Fighter season 18 winner Chris Holdsworth impressed throughout his time on the show, and in his two appearances in the Octagon proper, but he's been out of action since his UFC 173 win over Chico Camus.

As it turns out, he's been dealing with lingering concussion issues that haven't subsided. In an interview with Sherdog.com, Holdsworth said he slammed his head on the mat during training into UFC 173, with sparring right after that, and it was something that hampered him throughout the camp.

"I was feeling symptoms that whole camp for Chico. I think it showed in my fight," he said. "I kind of played it safe, and I was just a little hesitant. I didn't pull the trigger like I usually do, because I hadn't sparred for two months before that. It's a big learning experience. Head trauma is no joke, and I'm finally starting to kind of understand it. I can't be having all these gym wars year round. You've got to save your head for the fights."

Holdsworth says he's getting smarter about his sparring, and is starting to feel better overall. He also says he's getting anxious to get back into the mix.

"I'm starting to feel a lot better, but some days I feel a little bit off. I'm having more better days than bad days. I'm just happy to be getting back into training. I took a couple months off. It's real frustrating. I've been bored just watching people train, just being there and trying to support but it's just not the same. You're not in there grinding it out with your team."

"...I'm hungry. I haven't been this hungry for a while. This is probably the most time I've had to sit out of training my whole life. It's a big learned lesson, but I guarantee you when I come back, I want to f*** some s*** up."

Penick's Analysis: Holdsworth's been quietly sidelined here, but thankfully it seems he's been smart here since the Camus fight. He probably shouldn't have taken the Camus fight, of course, given what he described as his symptoms into that bout. Still, he's seemingly not risked further issues until things clear up, which hopefully they do. Still, as we've seen with T.J. Grant, concussion symptoms could linger for a long time, so there's no telling when he'll be ready to return. Hopefully, if they do clear up, he stays smart about his training, because repeated concussions could lead to serious issues for him in the future.