Some genuinely good news is kicking off 2026.
There’s no shortage of criticism aimed at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) — from fighter pay to diluted cards —, but when it comes to taking care of former athletes in real need, the promotion has often stepped up. And that appears to be the case once again.
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Darren Stewart revealed that the promotion will cover the cost of his upcoming hip surgery after he was left struggling to walk due to severe injuries. Stewart is dealing
with stage-four arthritis, a torn hip labrum, and additional damage that has caused him constant pain.
Back in November, “The Dentist” disclosed that he had burned through his savings and turned to GoFundMe for financial help. This week, however, Stewart shared an emotional update confirming the UFC reached out directly.
“You know what, guys, the cat is out of the bag and I can’t wait no more,” Stewart said. “I just want to say a big thank you to the f—king UFC. They reached out to me — I got a phone call a few weeks ago. I honestly thought it was a prank call.”
“They said, ‘We want to help you. We saw your situation online. You’ve done so much for us — we can’t see you suffer. We’re here to help.’”
Stewart explained how the moment finally set in when he realized the call was legitimate.
“I jumped out of bed like, ‘No way,’” he continued. “I hung up and went to my missus. I said to her, ‘Babe, listen, I’ve had this call from some random number.’ She was like, ‘So what?’ I go, ‘It’s an American number.’ She’s still like, ‘So what?’ I told her to check it – yeah, it’s from Nevada. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I knew it was real.”
A former UFC staff member who previously assisted Stewart during hospital visits later confirmed the offer and helped begin the process.
“She messaged me and said, ‘It’s real. Let’s get the paperwork sorted and get you those new hips,’” Stewart said. “I nearly broke down in tears. I don’t care — I’m emotional…I can’t believe it’s happening. I want to cry. I’m in pain every day.”
Rather than a full hip replacement — which would have ended his combat sports career — doctors recommended hip resurfacing surgery, allowing Stewart to remain active. He recently competed in a boxing match against Darren Till in March.
Stewart is expected to finalize his surgery date in the coming days.
“I’ll be honest with you guys, no matter how big we are and strong we are, mental health is the real issue. I’ve had some depressing times,” Stewart concluded. “I just don’t show it online. Depressing times. Talk to somebody. It’s not a joke. You never know who is out there. I didn’t want to do the fu—king GoFundMe. My friends have helped me. I didn’t want to do it. Friends have helped me. I’ll be in pain for the rest of my life unless I get certain things done. Talk to somebody.”
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