UFC welterweight Neil Magny to donate $15K of fight purse to little girl’s medical care

When Gunnar Nelson withdrew from his fight with Neil Magny, which was supposed to co-headline the UFC’s Saturday night debut in Liverpool, the UFC began a frantic search to find Magny a replacement opponent. As the UFC matchmakers undertook this search, Magny gave them some extra incentive to keep him on the card.

In a post to Instagram the welterweight announced that, if the promotion was able to keep him on the Liverpool card, he’d donate $15,000 of his purse to the medical care of a young girl named Presley O’Doherty, who is battling a rare neuromuscular disorder called spinal muscular atrophy.

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Not long after Magny issued this incredible offer, the UFC succeeded in its mission to find him a dance partner, calling on Cage Warriors product Craig White to step up. 

Speaking to E. Spencer Kyte of UFC.com this week, Magny confirmed that, in keeping with his Instagram post, he will be donating $15K of his purse to this young girl’s medical expenses.

“I started reading about this girl and her condition on her GoFundMe and I realized how much of a drastic situation her family are in,” said Magny. “That’s what really inspired me to dig deep and make a bigger contribution than anything I’ve every done in the past.

“I’ve always contributed to things I’ve felt some kind of way about in the past – a charity or whatever – but it was always something comfortable for me, like, ‘Oh, I’ll give a hundred bucks.’ But I’m in a position where I’m able to help this person out and I should do it.

“When I look at it, I’m grateful for the opportunity to fight and blessed to have the opportunity to fight, but this girl is literally fighting for her life and I felt really compelled to make a donation.”

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“To be in a position where I get to go out there and compete and I get to go out there and help this girl, why not take advantage of it? Why not act in the moment and be grateful for what I have and help someone else out at the same time?”

What do you think of this incredible act of generosity from Neil Magny? If you’re interested in joining him in this cause, you can donate to Presley O’Doherty’s kickstarter fund here.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/23/2018.