Jamie Siraj felt like he was on top of the world in 2019. Win after win had placed him at the UFC doorstep. A call could come at any time.
That’s when the headaches and stomach issues began.
In a profession where brain trauma isn’t unusual, Siraj tacked it up to a concussion. Boy, did he have no idea what he was in for. Doctors gave him a clean bill of health. Siraj felt distrusted and unheard.
“People insinuated I was faking it,” Siraj told MMA Junkie. “Doctors said nothing was wrong. Meanwhile I was fainting, heart rate at 140 daily, blood pressure at 194/115. I had to become my own advocate. It drove me mental. That lack of belief hurt deeply.”
Eventually, there was no denying something was wrong. He was unable to stand, bedridden. In 2021, Siraj’s face broke out in a skin infection, rendering him swollen and unrecognizable. He was diagnosed with autoimmune encephalitis, a condition where the immune system attacks the brain.
Doctors, however, couldn’t figure out how to stop the siege.
“It progressed,” Siraj said. “I had severe stomach issues, was put on immune suppressive drugs that made me sicker. A truckload of health problems followed.”
The diagnosis changed when a rheumatologist diagnosed him with systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, an autoimmune disease attacking connective tissue and increasing susceptibility to infection. The skin presentation was due to a septic infection with bacteria growing in his stomach wall. Siraj underwent surgery.
“It was very rare,” Siraj said. “Doctors said it was the worst skin infection they’d ever seen. I signed a waiver to be studied. When my face got infected, it finally showed people something was truly wrong.”
The prognosis shifted to dire. Siraj was in and out of sedation. During the time he was lucid, he was in pain, thinking he was going to die.
“They weren’t giving me a high chance of survival,” Siraj said. “I dealt with recurring infections for about a year. I became antibiotic resistant. … I was as close to death as close as you can get. Extremely high inflammatory markers, irregular heart rhythms, constant monitoring, IV antibiotics. I’ve never felt pain like that. I cried from pain. I was sedated often. The infection spread from a hole in my mouth into my lungs. It was horrendous.”
Siraj was desperate. He signed waivers to be studied – anything chance that a discovery could be made to U-turn his declining health would be worth it. December 2021 to July 2022 the worst was the worst time of his life. But then, a breakthrough discovery was made shortly thereafter.
“Eventually, an immunologist got me approved for monoclonal antibody treatments,” Siraj said. “(They were) very expensive, about $50,000, so we started a GoFundMe. I began treatment and started improving. … Monoclonal antibody treatment, basically helping my immune system reach homeostasis so it stops attacking itself. It normalized my white blood cell count.”
Inch by inch, Siraj’s health rebounded. He credits those around them for their unwavering support. In February 2023, Siraj had a moment that would be insignificant to most. But taking a step back, it’s one that he’ll never forget.
“I felt normal for the first time in years,” Siraj said. “That moment made me appreciate everything.”
In June 2023, Siraj made his improbable return to the cage and got back on track. His spirits were lifted further.
“After being septic, in a coma, told I might not live, winning that fight was everything,” Siraj said.
Siraj won five of his next six pro fights. And just when it seemed like it may never happened, Siraj got the message he’d finally been waiting for. He quickly accepted Sean Shelby’s short-notice offer to fight at UFC Winnipeg vs. John Yannis – yet another odds-defying feat just years after escaping death.
The battles ahead will always pale in comparison to the war Siraj already won.
“You see a lot of these guys, a prime example, look at someone like Youssef Zalal, where they get in the UFC the first round, they’re too young and they’re not battle tested enough or they haven’t gone through as much adversity in their career, and then they go out there and they choke because they haven’t dealt with those pressures and adversities, and then now you see where he is now,” Siraj said. “I already went through my adversities. I already went through the battle-tested fights. I already fought UFC-caliber opponents and beat them. Not to mention after going through what I have with my health, there’s not many situations you can put me in in life that I’m gonna freeze or choke over. I’m so ready for this moment.”
