The grappling world was hit with news when Daniel “Big Dan” Manasoiu withdrew from the highly anticipated Craig Jones Invitational 2 after being diagnosed with Lyme disease. The 23-year-old phenom explained in an emotional statement that despite aggressive attempts with high-dose antibiotics, ozone therapy and NAD+ treatments his body was failing him and he would be unable to perform at the level required for one of the biggest submission grappling events in the sport.
In the aftermath of that announcement Manasoiu turned to a clinic with deep ties to Joe Rogan’s world of alternative medicine and biohacking. He posted on Instagram praising Ways2Well for administering EBOO therapy, describing it as a “supercharged blood cleanse” where blood is removed from the body, passed through UV light, mixed with oxygen and ozone, and then reinfused. He credited the Texas-based wellness clinic with “taking good care of me.”
Ways2Well is run by Brigham Buhler, a former pharmaceutical executive who also operates ReviveRx, a mail-order pharmacy. Buhler has become a recurring guest on The Joe Rogan Experience where he has pitched his vision of “functional and regenerative care.” Over the last few years, Ways2Well has developed a reputation as the place where Rogan’s friends and podcast guests go for testosterone replacement, stem cells and other unproven wellness therapies. Critics argue the clinic is less about science and more about capitalizing on its proximity to Rogan’s cultural influence.
The treatment described in this post – EBOO (Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation) – lacks scientific evidence for treating Lyme disease and has several fundamental problems. Lyme is caused by Borrelia bacteria transmitted through tick bites. The bacteria infect tissues throughout the body, not just blood, so “cleaning” blood does not address the bacterial infection where it actually lives. Ozone therapy itself is unproven and potentially harmful. The FDA has explicitly stated there is no medical condition for which ozone therapy has been proven safe or effective. Ozone is a toxic gas that can damage lung tissue and red blood cells. UV blood irradiation also lacks clinical evidence. While UV light can kill pathogens in a petri dish, there is no data showing that brief exposure during blood processing does anything to treat systemic infections like Lyme. The entire premise reflects a misunderstanding of Lyme disease pathophysiology. Chronic symptoms often involve complex immune dysfunction rather than ongoing bloodstream infection which makes the idea of a blood “cleanse” scientifically baseless.
What actually works for Lyme disease is well established. In early stages the illness responds to antibiotics such as doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime. More advanced stages may require longer courses of antibiotics guided by infectious disease specialists. Supportive care for lingering symptoms is also evidence-based and widely available. Unlike EBOO therapy these treatments directly address the bacterial cause of Lyme and are supported by decades of clinical research.
For Manasoiu, pursuing EBOO likely provides placebo benefits—the sense of taking control and undergoing an intensive procedure can make someone feel better regardless of actual biological effect. But it does not treat the infection and chasing unproven therapies risks delaying recovery or creating false hope. The optics however are undeniable: a young grappling star sidelined by disease is now walking the well-trodden path of Rogan-adjacent athletes toward experimental therapies that carry more hype than evidence.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Treatment of Lyme Disease. 2024. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/treatment/index.html [Accessed 26 August 2025].
Food and Drug Administration. Ozone Therapy Devices: FDA Safety Communication. 2019. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/ozone-therapy-therapies-483240-05132016 [Accessed 26 August 2025].
Kassirer, J.P. and Angell, M. ‘Alternative medicine—the risks of untested and unregulated remedies’, New England Journal of Medicine, 1998, 339(12), pp. 839–841.
Wormser, G.P., Dattwyler, R.J., Shapiro, E.D., Halperin, J.J., Steere, A.C., Klempner, M.S., Krause, P.J., Bakken, J.S., Strle, F., Stanek, G., Bockenstedt, L., Fish, D., Dumler, J.S. and Nadelman, R.B. ‘The Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease, Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis: Clinical Practice Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America’, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2006, 43(9), pp. 1089–1134.
