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On February 6th, at UFC Fight Night 82, Diego Rivas filed his entry for 2016 knockout of the year when he delivered a thunderous flying knee to the jaw of Noad Lahat. The brutal strike earned Rivas a shocking come-from-behind victory, a $50,000 bonus check, and a brief moment in the MMA spotlight.
Since then, unbeknownst to all but those closest to him, Rivas had been fighting cancer. As reported by MMA.Uno, the Chilean fighter took to social media recently to reveal that he is “Almost 100%” healthy after undergoing a course of chemotherapy.
In his instagram post Rivas, a veteran of Season 1 of TUF Latin America, stated the following:
At last surgery on my knee, I should have operated more than four months ago but after my last fight I was diagnosed with cancer, so it had to be intervened by the subsequent urgency to undergo a course of chemotherapy. I apologize for not informing you sooner, but it was a delicate situation for me, my family, my friends and my career. Thank God, for today I am almost 100% and have won this tough fight that I had to take this year, it could have been worse but God gave me another chance. I appreciate my family as the fundamental pillar in my life, my girlfriend for always being there, and my faithful friends, who are more than friends, but my brothers.
Rivas also revealed that he had been booked to fight for the UFC on November 5th in Mexico City, but due to his cancer diagnosis, subsequent treatment, and an unrelated knee injury, he will not be able to compete at that time.
However, Rivas does not believe his stunning win over Lahat will be last time UFC fans see him compete. Rivas spoke exclusively to Santiago-based ATSteveDuncan of MMA.Uno about his ordeal over the past six months and his plans for the future.
“I had a treatment for almost four months,” recounted Rivas, who added that he is still under medical observation. Rivas also went on record to thank the UFC and stated that the promotion “always sought the best” for him. Rivas, who revealed that chemotherapy had given him a “new way of seeing things”, hopes to return to the octagon this winter.
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