Muay Thai fighter Miriam Nakamoto had just begun her MMA career in 2012 when it was derailed a year later due to a knee injury. Now 42 years old, “The Queen of Mean” remains sidelined, still unsure about a comeback.
It wasn’t until UFC analyst Joe Rogan offered to shoulder all of her medical expenses for treatment, giving a bit of optimism for a return in the near future.
Nakamoto revealed the news via a recent Instagram post.
So …this happened today. I’m struggling to find the words. I’ve been trying to make a comeback for almost 6 years now. I’ve come close a few times. But I kept having difficulty with my knee. There’s not much to be down with a grade 3 lesion on a meniscus besides stem cell therapy.
I didn’t have $30,000 so I did the best that I could, but I still always came up short. And then this happens today. I’m still in shock. Thank you @joerogan. See you soon Dr. Riordan! #besthumanever#dreamsdocometrue #speechless#secondchance #blessed #grateful#letsgochamp
Nakamoto was fighting for the Invicta bantamweight title against Lauren Murphy in December 2013 when she suffered the injury in the fourth round, resulting in a TKO loss. She holds a professional record of 2-1 (with 1 NC and both wins by knockout).