The Welsh-born Aaron Aby is a former Wrexham player who dropped his footballer dreams to compete in MMA. He is a fighter who was born with Cystic Fibrosis and was later diagnosed with cancer. Sitting down in an exclusive interview, ahead of his Oktagon 63 fight against Zhalgas Zhumagulov on November 9, we discuss mental resiliency.
Aaron Aby on Life’s Battles
The professional MMA fighter Aaron Aby has been in the sport of MMA for more than ten years and has taken 26 bouts all over the world in that time. Despite the many clashes in the cage, his toughest fight was his battle with cancer. Speaking recently in an interview with LowKickMMA, he explained:
“I haven’t had a choice. It’s been ingrained in me since I was young. My dad always used to say, “Show me the fighter, and I’ll show you the person. Show me the person, and I’ll show you the fighter.” I’ve carried that with me. Fighting, like life, has its ups and downs. Sometimes you need to use your brain, sometimes you need to dig in and push through. Over time, I’ve become mentally stronger. The cancer battle was the toughest, but I always thought everything I went through was preparing me for it. Tough battles make you stronger. Now, I can apply those lessons in life.”
After a decade in the sport, it has been a long road, he reflected:
“Sometimes, I have to remind myself how far I’ve come, especially with cystic fibrosis. I started MMA to raise awareness for CF. It was on my shirt during my first fight. I feel like sometimes I get caught in the moment, focusing on the big fights ahead, but when I reflect on where I started and how I’ve got here, it’s incredible. I truly appreciate the journey.”
On November 9, Aaron Aby is set to face former UFC fighter Zhalgas Zhumagulov at Oktagon 63.