UFC Fighter Reveals Plans To Step Away From Fighting To Heal From Concussive Symptoms

Ian Heinisch has decided to put his fighting career on hold to get his health in order after struggling with ongoing concussion symptoms.

UFC fans haven’t seen Heinisch in action since 2021 when he was finished by Nassourdine Imavov in the second round, and now “The Hurricane” has announced on Instagram that he will be formally removing himself from the USADA testing pool while he takes time away from the UFC to address his health.

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Ian Heinisch Decides To Put His UFC Career On Pause 

Heinisch’s choice to step away from the UFC was no doubt a difficult decision for the 34-year-old, especially considering there was a point in time where he appeared to be one of the promotion’s most promising young middleweight contenders.

“The Hurricane” made his pro debut in 2015 and quickly put together an 8-0 record before falling short against future UFC fighter Markus Perez in 2017. That matchup was for the LFA’s middleweight title, which Heinisch ended up claiming two fights later when he knocked out Gabriel Checco in the first round.

Another first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 saw Heinisch join the UFC and pick up decision wins over Cezar Ferreira and Antônio Carlos Júnior, but matchups with Derek Brunson and Omari Akhmedov resulted in the first back-to-back losses of his career. 

Heinisch rebounded in 2020 by knocking out UFC mainstay Gerald Meerschaert in the first round, however fights against Kelvin Gastelum and Imavov put him on another losing skid that led into his current layoff. 

The 34-year-old was scheduled to meet Sam Alvey last year but withdrew from that matchup, and now fans will hope that “The Hurricane” is able to address his health concerns and potentially return to the cage at some point in the future.

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