Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris stated he’s still on the road to recovery after a series of health complications following his February fight against Kimbo Slice at Bellator 149.
Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting passed along comments from a recent interview with the 38-year-old, who collapsed during the third round of the bout. He still isn’t all the way back to full strength, but he provided further details about exactly how dire the situation was three months ago:
This whole ordeal, you know, has been very, very trying because of the process I had to undergo. My kidneys went out during this fight. I was on dialysis for a couple of months. I had two heart attacks. I died inside that ring. They brought me back, and then my heart stopped. For like five minutes, they brought me back, and then my heart stopped again for like eight minutes. So, you know, I’ve been really trying just to bounce back, but I will say this. There is a lot more to this situation than people can imagine.
The bout was originally scored a knockout victory for Slice after a lackluster back-and-forth battle in which neither fighter showcased much endurance.
Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie reported a few days later that Slice tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in a post-fight Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation test.
The 42-year-old veteran eventually reached an agreement with Texas’ athletic commission that included a $2,500 fine and revocation of his fighting license in the state, according to Marrocco. The result of the fight was also switched to a no contest as a result.
In turn, the settlement allowed Slice to become eligible to fight again outside of Texas. Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported Bellator has proceeded to schedule him to headline a card at the O2 Arena in London in July against James Thompson.
Raimondi asked Harris whether he thought Slice getting back into the cage so quickly after testing positive for steroids was a surprise:
Yeah, of course man. It’s disturbing. This is letting you know that this was bigger than me and than what I expected. I was the underdog. Everybody had their chips on [Slice] to win, and they [Kimbo’s team] could not let Dada 5000 win under no circumstances. At no cost, you know. But that backfired on them because he was convicted of steroids.
Looking ahead, Harris told MMA Fighting he plans to compete again, even if it’s not with UFC or Bellator. He didn’t directly answer questions about whether he’d take on a rematch with Slice, however, stating: “He wouldn’t take that. I would beat him. He knows it.”
The question for MMA promotions moving forward is whether a fighter who tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance should be allowed to compete again so quickly.
That said, the most important thing is that Harris continues to make positive progress in his recovery after a scary period of time after the fight.
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