Who pays for Corey Hill's recovery?
The seemingly make-believe world becomes very real when you see a fighter's shin explode into pieces. Corey Hill suffered the most gruesome injury in the history of the UFC last Wednesday when he broke his leg attempting a kick. Most of us know how ridiculous the cost is for any sort of medical treatment is nowadays, so how much does it cost to mend a shattered leg? And more importantly how do you pay for it? Do UFC fighters have a company backed insurance plan? Dana White spoke on the topic on local Las Vegas radio:
"Corey Hill is still in the hospital. He had surgery, they put a plate in his leg. We paid for all that. We covered all those expenses. He'll go into rehab, we'll pay for that too."
Can anyone estimate the cost on that surgery and 12-18 months of rehab? That's a hefty fee but what more can you ask UFC to do? The Hill discussion was part of bigger conversation about how the NFL treats its athletes. The PMS show on ESPNRadio1100 pointed out that there are many former football players who live in a world of confusion because of post-concussion syndrome. And it's seems like NFL could care less. White understands what the NFL deals with, when he points out that insuring UFC fighters really isn't feasible:
"Go out and say we own the Ultimate Fighting Championship," said White. "We like to get some health insurance for our fighters. You can't do it. It would cost so much money it would put you out of business."
Click below to listen to discussion with White on fighter injuries and insurance (ESPNRadio1100 w/Afternoon Gridlock Show):
White says the UFC does try to point its fighters in the right direction whether its about getting insurance or managing their money. Seminars are held so that even the richest fighters don't find financial ruin.
