Bellator MMA fighter Cristopher Lencioni faces an uncertain future after suffering a heart attack and subsequent brain damage during a gym training session, with doctors suggesting the cause may be Long QT syndrome, a heart rhythm disorder, and despite trying to move independently in hospital, he now faces expensive long-term medical treatment for which his wife has appealed to the MMA community for financial help.
On June 8, Cristopher Lencioni, who is 28 years old, suffered a heart attack in Spokane, Wash during a training session. The martial arts enthusiastic, who was preparing for a fight at Bellator 298 before it was cancelled, went into cardiac arrest while performing a jiu-jitsu exercise. His wife, Marca Lencioni, reported that his training partners immediately called for help and the paramedics arrived at the scene within five or six minutes. They used a defibrillator a few times before transporting him to a local hospital.
Upon investigating Cristopher’s health condition, the doctors discovered significant brain damage resulting from the heart attack. Following a period in the ICU, during which he demonstrated states of disordered consciousness usually seen in traumatic brain injury patients, he was released this past Friday. Even though doctors still are not sure about the long-term impacts, during a visit on Tuesday, Cristopher showed signs of recovery, smiling and moving his hand out of a bag of ice.
Marca shared the doctors’ speculation that Cristopher’s medical episode may have been a result of Long QT syndrome, a potentially deadly heart rhythm disorder that hadn’t been detected in his routine EKG conducted in 2019. She explained that the bottom two chambers of his heart were not functioning correctly and his heart rhythm was unusually high. This condition has caused some athletes to lose their lives in the past, such as former UFC heavyweight Shane Del Rosario, who passed away from complications of Long QT after a heart attack in 2013.
Even though the medical expenses thus far have been overwhelming due to the severity of his condition and the lack of insurance, with the bills up to now totalling over $300,000, Marca insists Cristopher continues to prove his resilience. She reports that Cristopher has tried to stand on his own in the hospital and even managed to drink water on his own, something that came as a surprise to his doctors. Now that Cristopher is out of the ICU, as a means to continue his recovery process, doctors have suggested that he be moved to a long-term care facility in Idaho. Marca has hence set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his treatment and has managed to raise almost $29,000 so far. She praised the initial team that treated her husband and shared her hopes that Cristopher might benefit from procedures such as stem cell therapy, which, although unproven in treating many conditions according to U.S regulators, might assist in his recovery. As for whether Cristopher, nicknamed “Sunshine”, will return to fighting, Marca refuses to limit him, believing in his ability to surprise everyone with his recovery given his spirit as a fighter.