He Broke His Neck—Then Earned His Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

One training accident changed Ericson Abalos’s life in seconds. While preparing for his next MMA fight, Ericson was picked up and suplexed during sparring. He landed directly on his neck, briefly lost consciousness, and couldn’t lift his head from the floor. Doctors discovered a serious injury around his C3 and C4 vertebrae that required immediate surgery. What followed was a long and painful recovery. The physical pain was difficult, but Ericson says the mental battle—feeling lost, angry, and unsure of his future—was even harder. In this episode of the Small Man Podcast, Ericson shares how he went from training martial arts in a small garage on Kauai to competing in MMA, breaking his neck, returning to competition, becoming a coach, and eventually earning his jiu-jitsu black belt from Impact Jiu-Jitsu in Oregon. He also talks honestly about fear taking over during his comeback fight, rebuilding his confidence through jiu-jitsu, and why receiving his black belt meant so much after everything he had survived. Today, Ericson is back home on Kauai, raising his two daughters and learning how to balance jiu-jitsu with faith, family, and being a present father. This isn’t just a story about coming back from an injury. It’s about growing beyond the fighter you once thought you had to be. In this episode: Starting martial arts in a Kauai garage Leaving Hawaii after losing a close friend Moving to Montana and pursuing MMA Winning his first amateur fight The sparring accident that broke his neck Surgery and the difficult year that followed Returning for one more MMA fight Rebuilding his confidence through jiu-jitsu Coaching at Impact Jiu-Jitsu Earning his black belt in 2022 Returning home to raise his daughters Faith, fatherhood, consistency, and purpose If Ericson’s story connects with you, please like the video, leave a comment, and subscribe to the Small Man Podcast for more stories from the jiu-jitsu community. #JiuJitsu #BrazilianJiuJitsu #BJJ #MMA #BlackBelt #MartialArts #InjuryRecovery #ComebackStory #Kauai #HawaiiJiuJitsu #SmallManPodcast