Former UFC and PRIDE fighter, Kevin Randleman, may be the unluckiest athlete in all of MMA. With exceptional wrestling and a physique that could make Alistair Overeem blush, Randleman had a bright future during the early days of the sport. Over the course of his career, he’s squared off against some of the best in the world including Bas Rutten, Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Yet, his biggest adversary seems to be his own body.

On several occasions, Randleman has had to deal with staph infection, a potentially deadly virus that is fairly common in combat sports. Due to the physical nature of MMA, the constant back and forth contact is a perfect breeding ground for the affliction. At one point, a previous bout of staph put Randleman in critical condition as his kidney’s started to fail.

(Note: I was going to post the infamous picture of Randleman with a baseball sized hole in his chest, but I thought I’d spare anyone that happened to be eating while reading this. Google “Kevin Randleman” and “staph infection” to get a peek. Just remember, once you see it…you can’t unsee it)

Things were starting to look up for Randleman. With his health issues behind him, the Hammer House fighter was scheduled to face Roger Gracie on the Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery card on May 15. Unfortunately, it looks like his nemesis has appeared once again.

“I’m sick and I think I might have a little bit of a staph infection. They might have to replace me.”

Having anything interfere with your ability to compete must be frustrating to any athlete. For Randleman, it’s infuriating.

“I’ve trained for Gracie for 14 weeks, and I might get taken out by some nasty a– people who can’t wash their butts, their feet. I’m livid. I take six showers every day. I’m anal about cleanliness. I take a shower before I get into bed with my wife. If I wake up in the middle of the night and I’m sweaty, I take a shower.”

Technically, he has not been removed from the Gracie bout. If he does have to step down, Randleman has said that he will consider retirement, a rather disappointing ending to a once promising career.

Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery will air on Showtime.

(Source: Sherdog)