LEMOORE, CA — Cole Escovedo returns to the ring at Palace Fighting Championship 13 to face Michael McDonald after being out of the game for three years due to paralysis from a staff infection.
Cole Escovedo, who sports a professional MMA record of 11-4 and was the first World Extreme Cagefighting Featherweight Champion, was derailed from competition in 2007 when a staff infection left him paralyzed from the waist down. After a three year recovery, Cole will be returning to the ring on May 8 at Palace Fighting Championship 13. His opponent will be Michael McDonald, who boasts a 7-0 record and has yet to see the second round of a fight.
In December of 2006, Cole contracted a staff infection on his forearm that spread to his spine. “The doctors misdiagnosed it,” Cole said, “They gave me mild antibiotics that sent it into remission, then it spread to my spinal cord.” In January of 2007, Cole was forced to undergo surgery.
“After the surgery, my neurosurgeon’s biggest concern was whether or not I’d even be able to walk right again, let alone fight again,” he said.
“About a year after the surgery, I took up teaching and about four to five months later I started looking into fighting again,” Cole said, “at first it was difficult to get back into training, my legs didn’t want to work right. I had to train my body just to get in shape so I could train again.” It wasn’t until September of 2008 that he started looking for fight and soon thereafter, agreed to fight McDonald at PFC 8.
To prepare, Cole has been training 2-3 times a day, seven days a week. “I’ve trained more for this fight than I’ve ever trained for any fight before,” he said.
Cole, who took the WEC Featherweight (145lbs.) title in 2002, will be dropping to the Bantamweight division (135lbs.) for his fight against McDonald. Though, he is unsure if he will stay in the 135lbs. division.
Cole is optimistic about his return to the ring and the MMA world is excited to see his return to action on March 8 at PFC 13.
