The good news: Bellator featherweight Chris Lencioni is out of intensive care. However, he faces a long and uncertain road to recovery.
Lencioni, 28, went into cardiac arrest and had a heart attack June 8 while training at a gym in Spokane, Wash. His wife, Marca Lencioni, told MMA Fighting on Tuesday that an MRI revealed her husband also suffered brain damage. As a result, Cris is in a “state of disordered consciousness,” although he is awake and responsive.
Video posted to MMA Fighting’s social media accounts showed medical professionals working with Cris as they tried to get him to react to things happening. He can be seen smiling after receiving a kiss from Marca.
Cris was released from the ICU last Friday with doctors hoping for the best.
“The neurologists were basically like, ‘We have to wait to see what he can do and what he shows us,’” Marca said. “Because he was so, so healthy when this happened and is young and an athlete, they’re not really sure what’s gonna happen. The brain is complex, and because of where he’s at, they don’t know and they can’t say. Even the neurologist, she’s like, ‘I can’t give you a definite answer, because it’s gonna be up to him.’
“If anybody can come out of something like this, it’s him. He’s a fighter in all senses. It’s not just in the ring.”
With Cris’ long road ahead, the Lencioni family created a GoFundMe to help with medical costs. As of this writing, almost $33,000 of a $250,000 goal has been reached.
Lencioni was preparing for an Aug. 11 fight vs. James Gallagher at Bellator 298 that has since been canceled.
