Long-Time MMA Veteran Babalu Sobral Reportedly Showing Symptoms Of CTE
UFC and Bellator veteran Renato “Babalu” Sobral shared some disturbing news. Reportedly, the 43 year old has been showing signs and symptoms of what he believes to be CTE.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a condition in the brain. It is usually associated with having taken too many blows to the head. Research is still developing in the field. Contact sports, football and combat sports in particular, are a known cause of the disease. Currently, there is no way to accurately diagnose the disease, until after death.
Babalu spoke to MMAFighting about recent medical issues he has had, outright stating he has CTE.
“I already have [chronic] traumatic encephalopathy, actually. People barely talk about it.”
Babalu would go on to cite several medical issues. He apparently has lost sight in his left eye, and has osteoarthritis throughout his entire body. He went on to discuss troubling CTE symptoms he had been experiencing.
“Today I can’t walk a straight line. I lost sight of my left eye, which is a big price [to pay]. I have no balance today. my balance is almost zero”
Renato Sobral would go on to talk about fighting, even after being knocked out during training. He further expressed concerns for his future, unsure if he will ever see his grandchildren.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to see my grandkids, enjoy my grandkids in a normal way, because I’m starting to slowly feel the effects.”
Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral was a veteran of almost 50 MMA fights. He fought across several promotions, including the UFC, Strikeforce, and ONE. He had a stint in Bellator, before retiring in 2013.
