Uriah Hall is getting personal talking about his depression after leaving the UFC.
*Warning, this article contains sensitive material that may be upsetting or triggering to some.
Uriah Hall is embarking on a new journey in boxing following the conclusion of his MMA career. The longtime UFC middleweight had plenty of success in the sport before he retired in August. His departure was unexpected at the time, but his retirement has not lasted too long since he is prepping for a comeback to combat sports.
Hall will be facing former football player Le’Veon Bell on the undercard of the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva event. During the lead-up to this bout, Hall got very personal with the media during an interview. He explained that he had fallen into a depression after his MMA career came to a close.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch0cG3iO1oC/?hl=en
Uriah Hall explains his battle with depression and urges those who suffer to get help
Hall explained to reporters during a media scrum for his upcoming fight that he had fallen into a dark place without having MMA in his life. He said that after fighting for so long, there was a void left behind, one that drew him to thoughts of suicide.
“I was in a weird place,” Hall said via MMA Junkie. “After leaving MMA, man, I fell into a really deep hole. If I could talk about it, I fell into a deep depression. I spent the last 20 years of my life committing myself, my soul to one attribute, and then all of a sudden it’s gone, it’s taken away. So, it was some really dark, deep places, and luckily I had the right people around me to support me.”
Hall went on to describe feeling pressure from others regarding what he would be doing next in his future. During his MMA career, Hall fought some of the toughest men in MMA. He ended his career at 17-11. He holds wins over several former champions including Chris Weidman, Anderson Silva, and Bellator champion Gegard Mousasi. The pressure Hall felt in his uncertainty led him to contemplate suicide.
“When I say I felt depressed, I even at one point looked at my firearm,” Hall said. “Like, wait a minute, I can go down a really dark path if I don’t get out of this. And people don’t talk about that sh*t. It was really dark and I’m just so happy to get out of that,” Hall said. “I encourage people, I know it’s hard to even talk about it or talk to someone about it, but I know activeness does something. Literally, by me just getting up and just walking outside, it helped my mentality.”
Hall is grateful to be able to get help for his harmful thoughts and urges others in that position to do the same. He was speaking out against the stigma that men have to be strong and hold in their feelings. He joins fellow fighter Paddy Pimblett in this train of thought.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of self-harm reach out to 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Watch the entire interview here:
