Katlyn Chookagian’s Silent Struggle
For the past year, Chookagian has navigated the emotional and physical rollercoaster of fertility treatments. The toll is immense—multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF), hormone injections, and the weight of hope and disappointment. She candidly shared her journey at the UFC 299 media day, shedding light on a topic rarely discussed but profoundly impactful.
“For the past year, I’ve been going through fertility treatments. It’s been a long year, that is why I thought I would be taking off from fighting for a little bit longer,” said Chookagian. “But, yeah for the last year, I went through three full rounds of IFV and I had two miscarriages. It’s been a tough year. I wanted to take break from that, not just mentally but physically. Going through fertility is so hard. It’s so hard that I’m taking a fight to take a mental and physical break from fertility treatments I’m taking a fight because this is way, way easier than dealing with that.”
When Chookagian steps into the cage on fight night, it will mark 17 months since her last bout. But this return isn’t just about reclaiming her fighting career. The mental and physical strain of fertility treatments left her grappling with weight gain—up to 170 pounds at one point. Her journey back to fight shape involved more than physical conditioning; it required resetting her body and spirit.
“It’s a shame because unfortunately, I know so many people that are going through this right now,” Katlyn Chookagian continued. “Just my friend alone, my close friends are dealing with this. And you hear it, because people don’t talk about it, because it’s personal and really hard to talk about. But it’s really hard and there are so many people going through that. The amount of mental and physical strain that you put on yourself, doing four-to-eight hormone injections a day, back-to-back. It’s not just the mental load, but the physical load. In the summer, after I had my second miscarriage, I got up to 170 pounds from all the hormones and everything.”
“Taking this fight wasn’t just okay ‘Here’s a camp, let’s get in shape.’ It was dealing with the load of that, getting over that. I had to reset my body and I needed that little bit of extra time to get into fight shape. The second time I found out, I went to the doctor’s office, I got the bad news and that night my manager happened to be in Manhattan. We went for dinner and I was like ‘okay I need to get a fight.’ I just wanted a little mental break and something positive, I love fighting so much and it’s kind of all I know,” she added.
Katlyn Cerminara opens up on the "tough year" between fights ahead of her return at #UFC299:
"People that going through that, it's definitely really tough. They're definitely stronger than any of us up here doing fighting." pic.twitter.com/coUUW0WuT6
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 6, 2024
A Fight Beyond the Octagon
Regardless of the outcome at UFC 299, Chookagian’s impact transcends wins and losses. Her vulnerability serves as a beacon for others navigating similar paths. Whether she secures victory or faces defeat, her courage resonates. As the cage door closes, she fights not only for herself but for everyone who silently battles alongside her.
Saturday night isn’t just about punches and takedowns; it’s a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Katlyn Chookagian, the Diamond, shines not only as a fighter but as a warrior in life’s most intimate arena.
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