For a while, fans were left wondering if Ryan Hall had quietly retired. Since his last victory over Darrick Minner at UFC 269 in December 2021, where he improved his record to 9-2, “The Wizard” has been notably absent. In the meantime, Ilia Topuria—the last fighter to defeat him—has risen to new heights, winning five fights, capturing the featherweight title, and defending it by knocking out Max Holloway at UFC 308.
Hall recently opened up about the long stretch away from the sport, revealing a series of health challenges that have kept him sidelined for nearly three years.
UFC Fighter Ryan Halls Opens up on Years of Health Scares
“Basically, the most serious unfortunate health stuff that I have ever experienced in my life,” Hall shared on Just Scrap Radio via BJPENN.com.
The journey has included an almost overwhelming number of surgeries:
“I’ve had 21 general anesthesia surgeries since that fight, sorry 19, there were two prior. I got fallen on, tore my ACL, had to fix a plantar plate, got fallen on again, and had to have a tightrope surgery, the one that Pat Mahomes and a couple of other people have had.”
Complications piled up from these surgeries, leading to an extended recovery process:
“The ACL got infected, had to have a couple of septic arthritis [treatments]. The tightrope, I was actually allergic to the hardware they put in me somehow, so I had to have that re-done. It’s been interesting but on the back end of it.”
Hall noted that before these setbacks, he’d had an impressive run without major injuries:
Hall Talks Injury’s and Mindset on Comeback
“I went 15 years completely bulletproof. I ended up getting fallen on and tore my hip right before that fight, and I didn’t know how much that really affected me.”
Reflecting on his time in combat sports, Hall said, “At that point, it was 17 years of combat sports, so you spend all that time competing and training. The same thing that makes you tough can do you in.”
The challenges extended beyond the physical toll. Hall described his frustration with the medical process, noting, “It’s been interesting because more than half of the surgeries I have had are ‘Oops, we screwed that one up, let’s do that again.’ I had six elbow surgeries and five knee surgeries.”
He expressed the limitations of being a patient in these situations, saying, “As a patient, you can’t vet doctors and medical staff. There was a period of time when I was in daily pain.”
Now, however, Hall believes he’s finally on the mend and is looking ahead to a potential return in early 2025. At 39, he hopes to resume his career and build on his previous wins over high-profile opponents like Artem Lobov, Gray Maynard, and BJ Penn.
Past Opponent in Ilia Topuria
Hall reflected on the difficult time he’s faced, especially as he watched Topuria’s career take off:
“I had long stretches of time that no one would fight me. I’d get declined,” he noted. “Turns out, your only loss is under difficult circumstances [to the champ]. I had a bunch of injuries going into that fight, and he’s a great fighter. The only fight you have lost is to the current champ.”
Ryan Hall explained how his injury saga began, sharing, “I had just signed on to fight Pat Sabatini, and that’s when I tore my ACL. That was the beginning of this saga.”
He also conveyed the sense of frustration that has come with the time lost, saying, “It is frustrating because you think of what could be or what could have been.”
As Hall nears the end of this ordeal, fans eagerly await his return, hopeful to see “The Wizard” back in the octagon and ready to compete at his best.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
