Satoshi Ishii, the renowned judo champion and MMA veteran, has recently undergone life-saving surgery after contracting a spinal infection that turned septic. The 37-year-old athlete, who won the Olympic gold medal in judo at the 2008 Beijing Games, has been discharged from the hospital in Aichi, Japan, after a series of three surgeries over the span of two weeks.
Ishii, who has since ventured into acting and was recently part of the cast for the upcoming biopic “The Smashing Machine,” which is based on the life of American MMA trailblazer Mark Kerr, described the experience of working on the film as the “best time I’ve ever had in my life event compared to the Olympics.”
However, the judo legend’s recent health scare has been a significant setback. Ishii, who remains the youngest men’s heavyweight Olympic judo champion, was rushed to the hospital in Japan after feeling ill. There, he underwent three surgeries to address the spinal infection that had become septic.
“My neck disk and spine got an infected and it became septic. My last surgery was on August 5 and until yesterday (15 August) I was taking an antibiotic drip. My weight fell to 97kg (213lbs),” Ishii said.
Despite making a remarkable recovery, the DREAM, K-1, and Bellator veteran’s upper body is still paralyzed, and he was unable to curl a 2kg dumbbell during his first rehabilitation session. “My upper body is paralyzed. I have to keep going to hospital for rehabilitation, checking my blood work and MRIs and so on,” he added as per Asiafighting.
Ishii expressed his gratitude to the Aichi Sebone Hospital for saving his life and to his supporters for their kind words, which he said have made him strong and motivated him to fight again.
Former Pancrase fighter, pro wrestler, and stuntman Paul Lazenby, who also worked on the new Mark Kerr film, praised Ishii’s work on the set and is confident that he can make a full recovery. “Ishii-san could not have been a nicer guy, he’s incredibly intelligent, speaking four languages and everybody absolutely loved him,” Lazenby said. “When I last spoke with him, he said he was on the upswing so hopefully he manages to do just that.”
As Ishii continues his rehabilitation, his fans and the MMA community eagerly await his return to the sport and the big screen, hoping to see the judo champion’s resilience and determination shine once again.
