The German MMA fighter who got badly injured in a machete attack in Hamburg released his first public statement on Friday morning.
What happened Wednesday night in Germany sounds like a horrible scene from a mobster movie: At least five men stormed an MMA gym in Hamburg, grabbed German top-five middleweight Abeku Afful, locked themselves in a room with him and badgered him with knives, a baton, and even a machete. The intruders injured Afful so bad that he needed to undergo multiple emergency surgeries to save his life. You can find details of the attack and graphic photos of the injured Afful here.
On Thursday, sources close to the situation have told German MMA website GNP1.de that Afful is no longer in a life-threatening condition, but still remains in the intensive care unit. Until Friday morning it was unclear if he would keep his left leg that had been severely injured by a machete hack.
Now, the 35-year-old has released his first public statement on Facebook, in which he thanked his friends and teammates who were there at the scene on Wednesday night.
“It was not police who helped me,” Afful wrote. “It was you. If it wasn’t for you, I would be dead by now. I owe you my life, thank you!”
Several suspects have been arrested only hours after the assault happened, including Afful’s former coach, whom he had a dispute with over the last couple of years. Although the identity of the attackers is not clarified yet, Afful had a message for them as well.
“I forgive you. I don’t know if god will too, that remains to be seen.”
During the attack, a main artery, as well as a tendon in Afful’s leg were severed by a machete hack. Although the doctor’s have managed to save his leg, the future of his MMA career is uncertain at best.
“I will rest now. We’ll see if I will ever be able to fight again,” Afful wrote. “At least I haven’t lost my leg. Thank you to everybody who included me into their thoughts and prayers.”