Shannon Ross tried not to think about the searing pain in his gut as a UFC doctor praised his courage at a Las Vegas hospital this past August.
It was the day after his loss to Vinicius Salvador on DWCS, and his coaches had urged him to get checked out after he began shaking and convulsing in his hotel room. He’d felt unusually hungry all week but convinced himself it was only in his mind.
“Oh man, that was a crazy fight,” the doc told Ross. “That was so good. You Australians are crazy.”
“I would love to chat with you about the fight,” Ross replied. “But I feel like I’m dying. Can you help me?”
The doc got the message and ordered a CT scan, which revealed Ross had suffered a ruptured appendix. Because the injury had gone untreated, he’d also developed blood poisoning and was in serious medical danger.
Off Ross went to emergency surgery. He spent the next five days in the hospital before returning to his native Australia.
After the UFC found out what happened, Ross got a second chance with a fight at UFC 284, where he’ll face Kleydson Rodrigues on the preliminary card.
“I think they want to see what I can do when I’m healthy,” Ross said.
Check out the full interview above.