Alan Belcher looking at 2011 return
The first surgery seemed like a success according to Belcher, but when he visited his doctors again, they said he…
The first surgery seemed like a success according to Belcher, but when he visited his doctors again, they said he had to go back under the knife for a second time.
At first it looked promising. I had the first surgery, but when it detached a second time that’s when it was real scary, said Belcher. It was like how many times are we going to have to go through this? I kind of had to do it all over again.
Following a second surgery, the doctors didn’t put a percentage on the chances of a comeback to fighting for Belcher. He had to sit with the real thought in his mind that his UFC career may be over.
It was kind of open, they weren’t really sure. It was just taking it one day at a time. They thought I would get a lot of vision back and I might probably be able to fight again if I wanted to take the risk, but they weren’t really sure, Belcher said.
They say time heals all wounds, and that was the key to Belcher’s injury as well. As the hours turned into days and the days into weeks, Belcher’s eye continued to heal and his vision started to get better. Another trip to the doctor’s office, and like a weight being lifted off of him, the news was the best thing he had heard in a long time.
Now we’re at where we’re at now, it seems everything is healing good this time. The doctors said I can start exercising and I can probably be back doing contact as early as January, said Belcher.
Belcher has been working closely with Dr. Chris Semple out of Mobile, Ala. who is a retina specialist, and he credits him for the job he’s done getting the middleweight back into the cage again.
He’s been really hands on and been supportive everyday through text and e-mail, and he’s done a really great job, said Belcher about his doctor. I give a lot of credit to him.