Ricardo Lamas fought through a serious health issue at UFC Argentina: ‘Things could’ve ended badly’

Last weekend, in the co-main event of UFC Argentina, long-time UFC featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas scored a late TKO stoppage of the famously durable Darren Elkins. Apparently, however, he was dealing with a fairly serious health issue in the fight.

Ricardo Lamas shared the story on his official Instagram account:

“My first day Argentina I noticed that my left calf muscle felt tight and sore to the touch,” Ricardo Lamas explained. “I thought maybe it was a small muscle pull or something of that nature, but as the week went on it worsened. The day of the fight I had someone work on it to try and get the muscle to release and it was extremely painful. After getting it checked out by the doctors and having an ultrasound done on the muscle, it turns out I formed a blood clot in my calf muscle during the flight to Argentina from being seated in a tight area for so long. Things could’ve ended badly if the clot became dislodged during the fight. So I guess I also have to thank whoever was watching over me during the fight. So I guess I can say I ‘fought wit a blood clot blood clot! (Rasta voice)'”

For those who are unfamiliar with the potential severity of blood clots in the leg, here’s what the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says:

“Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs. A blood clot in your lungs is called a pulmonary embolism. If this happens, your life can be in danger.”

Needless to say, it’s good to hear Ricardo Lamas is alright.

With his win over Darren Elkins, the former featherweight title challenger Ricardo Lamas rebounded from a pair of disappointing losses: a split decision setback to Mirsad Bektic, and a upset knockout loss to Josh Emmett. These losses were preceded by consecutive stoppage wins over Jason Knight and Charles Oliveira. He’s now 19-7 overall.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/21/2018.