The crew at Bloody Elbow were all very nervous when we watched our colleague and friend Josh Samman go into the cage against Eddie Gordon at UFC 181 last year. We knew he’d been through hell and back after the death of his partner Hailey Bevis in a car accident. The first round and a half was hard to watch for Josh’s fans and friends as Gordon dominated position and seemed to be heading toward a decision.
When Josh landed the KO head kick, seemingly out of nowhere, we lit up Twitter with pride, elation, joy and relief because we knew he was fighting on Hailey’s birthday and we had a tiny inkling how much that win meant to him.
Now UFC.com has an incredible feature story on Josh’s struggles and triumphs heading into that fight by Florian Sadler. Here’s an excerpt, but you have to read the whole thing.
Samman’s emotions reach their boiling point as he steps into the Octagon, as he feels the mat beneath his feet for the first time in 612 days at UFC 181. Describing what that turning point of his life felt like would be impossible, he will say later, and then try it anyway. He is beyond excited to have made it back. Upset because Hailey is not with him. Honored because he is fighting on her birthday. Terrified of losing on this day. Add the usual nerves of competing against a trained wrecking ball in a locked steel cage and you’ve got yourself a mad mix of feelings that are impossible to control. When Eddie Gordon enters the Octagon, frowningly staring him down, Samman knows that his life’s direction hinges on these next three five-minute rounds. It is do or die for his battered soul.
Josh will return to the Octagon against Tamdan McCrory at UFC on Fox 17 in December.