Tommy McMillen reveals two-year sciatic nerve injury before UFC debut

Tommy McMillen has disclosed that he fought his UFC debut against Tural Mgoyan while carrying a two-year sciatic nerve problem that left his foot numb during the bout. The injury affected his training and warm-up routine throughout the camp.

“People don't understand how bad of an injury I was dealing with. It was a two-year injury — a pinched sciatic nerve in my back, so any time I would do any kind of running, jumping, training, my foot would go numb… For the Mgoyan fight, I walked out and my foot was numb; it was hard to warm up.”

— Tommy McMillen, via UFC

What Tommy McMillen said

McMillen competed at UFC Oklahoma City in his promotional debut against Mgoyan. The sciatic nerve issue, which pinched in his back, prevented normal running and jumping work during preparation. McMillen said the numbness extended into his foot whenever he trained, forcing him to manage the problem through fight week.

What it moves

Speaking to the UFC, McMillen explained the full extent of the injury for the first time. His disclosure raises questions about how long he plans to rest before returning and whether the nerve condition has since improved. McMillen's management of the problem through a debut camp underscores the physical cost fighters often absorb to reach the octagon.

Source: ufc.com. Full Tommy McMillen fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.