After surgeries, Marreta admits that he thought about retirement: 'I couldn't do simple things'

T. Marreta is recovering from knee surgery. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @tmarretamma

Who sees the Brazilian Thiago Marreta Currently, you cannot imagine that the athlete went through many difficulties after the knee surgeries resulting from the fight against Jon Jones, held in July this year. The athlete, who is gradually recovering his ideal physical condition, revealed that he had difficult moments post-operatively and considered retirement at 35 years of age. The statement was made in an interview with 'Combate.'

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“I even thought about stopping. I thought I wouldn't be able to fight anymore, because I'm already 35 years old, I'm not a 20-year-old anymore. In my head I thought: 'I can't go to the bathroom, I can't do simple things. How am I going to fight again, moving the way I used to move, the way I like to fight?”, asked the athlete.

One of Thiago's biggest concerns was making sure he could return to MMA, but not just by putting on the gloves. The athlete from Cidade de Deus (RJ) dreams of performing at a high level, so that he can, one day, achieve his dream of bringing the light heavyweight title (up to 93kg.) to Brazil.

“I asked the doctor, the people here if I was really going to be able to fight 100% again, and she said: 'If you follow everything we're saying, because recovery is more important than surgery – you have to do it. all very well. If you follow through correctly, I'm 100% sure that you'll fight 100% again'. And that's what I'm looking to do. I do everything they are telling me to do. I said I wanted to walk back to Brazil, and she told me to give it two months straight here (USA), and I would walk away. And here I am, walking back to Brazil. It was my request: I just want to return to Brazil walking, without crutches, without a wheelchair, without anything, walking normally”, said Thiago.

The Rio native's surgery took place approximately a week after his duel against the North American. The procedure sought to correct serious injuries to the fighter's knees. At the time, Marreta completely ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, suffered a fracture in his tibia, in addition to partial tears in the medial collateral ligament and meniscus. On the right, the athlete had a meniscus intervention.

The surgery was performed in Los Angeles, however, the physiotherapy process took place in Las Vegas, where the Brazilian had the support of Ultimate professionals at the company's exclusive Performance Institute.

If everything goes well with the fighter's treatment, it is expected that the athlete will be able to return to action in the first half of 2020.