Cris Lencioni, a Bellator MMA standout, is currently fighting for his life after suddenly losing consciousness during a routine sparring session last week.
Little detail is known regarding Lencioni’s condition after an initial tweet by FanSided’s Amy Kaplan stated that ‘Sunshine’ was in a coma after collapsing during a training session. Kaplan has since deleted her tweet after teammates of Lencioni argued that his condition was not as serious as reported. However, Lencioni’s mother-in-law, Angela Hibbard, shared a GoFundMe campaign with some details regarding the situation.
“As you can imagine, this was completely unexpected considering he is only 28 and in peak physical condition,” Hibbard wrote. “Cris is currently in the ICU in his biggest fight yet. We believe in the goodness of God, and we don’t know anyone with more will, strength, and determination than Cris. Cris has already overcome so much in his life, and we have faith in his ability to overcome any obstacle.”
Former three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen took to his YouTube channel to address the ongoing situation with Lencioni.
“He was in the process of working out. They were doing MMA sparring. They happened to be in a grappling situation at the time that Cris lost consciousness, and he was not in the process of being punched or in a chokehold or something like that,” Sonnen said. “He was just in the process of getting his workout in, and he lost consciousness. So the folks at the gym, thank heavens for them. They sprung into action. Called 911, an ambulance comes. Cris had not gained consciousness,” Sonnen revealed.
“So they get an ambulance and get him to the hospital, and this was a week ago. Immediately, they believed that the following day, Cris would gain consciousness, and he himself could share some insight as to what happened. How did we get here? And when the next day came, he didn’t gain consciousness, and that wasn’t alarming. They just said, ‘Hey, look, it’s going to be the next day.'”
As of this writing, Cris Lencioni has still not regained consciousness.
Pray for Cris Sunshine Lencioni 🙏🏼https://t.co/hFMLwyWOgJ
— Chris Bungard (@CowaBungard) June 19, 2023
Chael Sonnen Addresses Rumors About Cris Lencioni’s Condition and Delivers an Encouraging Update
Chael Sonnen also revealed that the key purpose of his video is to address the rumors that began to fly once the news of his hospitalization broke. Of course, when rumors start to run rampant, they are rarely flattering, which is what prompted Sonnen to address the situation head-on and dispel any misinformation.
“In the process of all of this, Cris’ wife was able to get out there and be by his side as it’s starting to unfold, but as the days start going by… And I’m just bringing this to you guys because there is some speculation, and when there’s speculation, you probably think, ‘Well, so what?’ Right? I get it. I fully get it,” Sonnen continued.
“Now that I’m in this spot, though, I can tell you it hurts. Speculation hurts. I don’t know why and I know you don’t do it to be painful, but when there’s rumors going around, or there’s statements, and they’re not true, it’s psychological, but it has some kind of effect. It does kind of tug, and it’s an emotional drain as well.”
Sonnen did deliver one piece of encouraging news to fans, revealing that Lencioni was able to respond to one of his wife’s requests.
“We also had one piece of very good news, and that was Cris’s wife was in the room with him, and she told him this before they knew she was in there and threw her out, but she told him, ‘Hey here’s what’s going on and here’s what they think. If you hear me and you’re with me, I need you to blink,’ and he did.“
Lencioni is considered to be one of Bellator MMA’s brightest prospects in the featherweight division. Recently signing a new contract with the promotion, ‘Sunshine’ is 11-3 in his mixed martial arts career and is riding a four-fight win streak. His biggest win thus far came against Cody Law at Bellator 289. He was scheduled for a return to the cage in August for a clash with James Gallagher.
Bellator released a statement regarding Lencioni, asking fans for their thoughts and prayers during this trying time for one of its brightest stars.
“We are aware of Cris Lencioni’s current medical condition and are monitoring the situation closely,” a Bellator official said in a statement. “We ask you to join us in sending thoughts and prayers to Cris and his family as he navigates his recovery process.”
