MMA Fighter Cris Lencioni Suffered Brain Damage From Cardiac Arrest

Cris Lencioni is finally out of the ICU. But not without some long-term damage.

The 28-year-old featherweight fighter for Bellator suffered a cardiac arrest while training on June 8. He spent three weeks in intensive care before his release Friday.

Cris' wife Marca Lencioni said her husband now suffers from brain damage.

"The neurologists were basically like, 'We have to wait to see what he can do and what he shows us,'" Marca Lencioni told a reporter for MMA Fighting. "Because he was so, so healthy when this happened and is young and an athlete, they're not really sure what’s gonna happen."

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Marca said Cris was in a state of disordered consciousness Friday.

"The brain is complex, and because of where he's at, they don't know and they can't say. Even the neurologist, she's like, 'I can’t give you a definite answer because it's gonna be up to him,'" Marca explained.

"If anybody can come out of something like this, it's him. He's a fighter in all senses — it's not just in the ring.'

Cris Lencioni Suffers Shocking Medical Emergency

Lencioni (11-3) is recognized as an ascending talent, amid a four-fight win streak, and has drawn considerable attention from the MMA community.

His family relayed news of his severe medical condition, calling the situation "uncharted territory" for the Portland-born fighter.

Lencioni becomes the latest pro athlete to suffer an abrupt health scare, considered unorthodox for his age range.

But Marca Lencioni told MMA Fighting doctors believe the heart attack may have been caused by Long QT syndrome, which was not diagnosed in a 2019 EKG.

The Portland, Oreg., native was training for an August fight against James Gallagher at Bellator 298. He has since been pulled from the card.