Fighter loses leg, fighting again, with AC Sanction
On July 8,2010 promising amateur MMA fighter Shea Taylor’s motorcycle was struck by a van, crushing his leg. He spent 15…
On July 8,2010 promising amateur MMA fighter Shea Taylor’s motorcycle was struck by a van, crushing his leg. He spent 15 days in a hospital, and when he left, a halo device supported his mangled lower left leg. Over a five month period, Taylor underwent a total of 12 surgeries and invasive procedures on his lower left leg.
“For lack of a better word, it was pure hell,” the 28-year-old Taylor told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). . “I just didn’t leave the bed some days.”
“The leg was nowhere near as active as it had been before. I did some research, and I noticed that amputees did some pretty cool stuff.”
Eventually, after study and introspection, Taylor made a life-changing decision: He asked doctors to remove part of the leg below his knee.
When he started his program at Atlanta Rehabilitation, Taylor made it immediately clear to his trainers that he expected to be able to compete in an MMA bout again, even before he was fitted with his first prosthetic limb.
Taylor began walking with his new prosthetic on Jan. 13 of this year, and one week later, he appeared for his first appointment with Georgia’s athletic commission.
“They were open to it right away,” he said, “as long as I was physically able.”
That meeting began the six-month process of gaining a license. The commission asked Taylor for visual proof that he could train regularly and protect himself, so he sent videos of his activities, including rolling and boxing.
Also concerned about how a prosthetic limb would be used in the cage, the commission asked Taylor to work on gaining a fight-safe limb. A local doctor helped Taylor design a new kind of limb that was both safe for him and safe for his opponent.
Some might be concerned that a prosthetic limb would give Taylor an advantage in striking. It’s the opposite, he said. The “fight leg” is softer than his shin bone would be, and it holds increased padding.
But Taylor still had to show the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission he could handle himself in the cage, and the commission approved a very hands-on method of determining his abilities. Andy Foster, the commission’s executive director, trained with Taylor to see his experiences up close.
“I was impressed by Taylor’s ability,” Foster said. “From a stand-up perspective, I see no activity that he cannot perform. From a grappling perspective, he is above average and moves very well.”
In part on Foster’s recommendation, the commission approved Taylor’s license, a groundbreaking move. Many wonder what future effect it will have on the sport.
As far as Taylor is concerned, he wasn’t looking to become the first person to do something. He just wanted to keep fighting, and a leg amputation was the only way to make that happen.
“It has been a passion of mine,” he said. “I want to show others they can regain their way of life even if something very difficult happens.”
The obvious questions come when talking with Taylor about his fight: How does the prosthesis affect his fighting? Does it give him any advantage? Can it be grabbed by his opponent? What if it comes loose?
Taylor’s biggest concern, instead, is his balance.
“I just really need to be aware of my positioning,” he said. “I need to understand how quickly I can be reversed or swept. It’s not the same power thrust, so I need to be able to dictate the fight a little bit.”
On Sept. 23, the Kentucky native will appear at Wild Bill’s Fight Night 40 in Duluth, Ga., and he’ll become the first amputee to appear in an MMA fight sanctioned by the state.
