On Friday, December 6, UFC featherweight Calvin Kattar and former UFC women's flyweight and bantamweight title challenger Liz Carmouche visited the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington D.C. This hospital visit was part of UFC’s Fight Week charitable activations leading up to UFC FIGHT NIGHT: OVEREEM vs. ROZENSTRUIK, on Saturday, December 7.
Both Calvin and Liz brought holiday cheer to pediatric cancer and adult oncology patients by taking photos, signing autographs, and distributing UFC bleacher creatures.
“A lot of people consider us “fighters” for stepping inside the Octagon, but these men and women, boys and girls, are literally fighting for their lives every day,” said Kattar. “They truly embody what it means to be a “fighter.”
Established in 1970, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is named for legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, who was treated for cancer at Georgetown University Hospital. It began as a small clinic treating cancer patients and has grown into a state-of-the-art cancer center housing more than 240,000 square feet of clinic and research space.
The director of the Cancer Center is Louis M. Weiner, MD. The center seeks to prevent, treat, and cure cancers by linking scientific discovery, expert and compassionate patient care, quality education, and partnership with the community.
Since 1971, cure rates for cancer have gone from 50% to over 70% in the United States, which equates to about 250,000 lives saved every year, a success directly attributable to advances in research.
“Having UFC athletes here at our center is wonderful because it’s always a thrill for our patients when they are visited and told how special they are,” said Georgetown Lombardi Director Dr. Louis M. Weiner, MD. “Being somebody with cancer does not mean that you’re not important. It does not mean you don’t have value, and that’s really incredible and symbolic. What are UFC athletes all about? They are all about combat, training hard, working hard, and being victorious.”
