Aaron Aby: 'I've used sport all my life to make myself feel normal'
Meet Aaron Aby, the former footballer turned MMA fighter forging a career in the octagon, despite a cystic fibrosis diagnosis and overcoming testicular cancer.
Aaron was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was just two weeks old - the condition is a disorder of cell membranes that mainly affects the lungs and digestive system - but that didn't stop him playing semi-professional football.
Having taken up mixed martial arts, Aaron was diagnosed with stage-three testicular cancer in 2017. His specialists prepared him for the worst, but in November 2023, Aaron bids for an MMA world title to complete the ultimate comeback story.
He told Sportshour's Shabnam Younus-Jewell that setbacks are just a part of life, and it's all about how you bounce back.
Photo: Aaron Aby celebrates victory at Cage Warriors 136 at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, England on Saturday 2nd April 2022. (Credit: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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