Gary Goodrige diagnosed with pugilistic dementia

Former UFC, Pride and K-1 star Gary Goodridge has a new battle on his hands, but just like his fights in the cage or ring, he won’t go down without swinging.

Goodridge recently visited a top neuro-physician in Canada where he was diagnosed with early onset CTE/pugilistic dementia.

CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) by definition is brain damage caused by repeated head trauma, resulting in degeneration of brain tissue. It’s commonly found in boxers, football players, ice hockey players and other athletes who have suffered repeated traumatic shock to the head.

When Goodridge first got the news from his doctors, it shocked him like it would any other athlete, and it wasn’t easy to swallow.

“You get the news you just have to deal with it, live with it,” Goodridge told MMAWeekly.com on Monday. “There’s no treatment that goes along with it. There’s pills to make it slow down the process, but it’s inevitable.”