In September, McGarity’s life changed when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Immediately beginning treatment, McGarity, considering the inevitability of losing her hair before starting chemotherapy, shaved her head to emulate the war braid hairstyle of former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who was scheduled to fight at UFC 311. Ashly posted her photo on Reddit through an anonymous account, and the post quickly gained more attention than she ever expected.
The post’s virality drew attention to Ashly and her story, and as a result, many eyes turned to her, including Prochazka’s. Widely regarded as one of the most eccentric yet compassionate athletes on the UFC roster, Prochazka immediately took action to reach out to McGarity, inviting her to accompany him during his return to the Octagon at UFC 311 for his fight against Jamahal Hill. McGarity had a truly unique experience on UFC 311 night. When she attended the press conference on Thursday, Prochazka revealed that he had shaved his head in solidarity with Ashly and pledged to donate 1 million Czech Koruna (about 50,000 USD) to support oncology patients. This pledge was met with a match from UFC CEO Dana White. On Friday, Prochazka invited her onto the stage at the ceremonial weigh-ins, allowing McGarity to experience a vastly different weekend from her usual quiet weekdays. The weekend’s grand finale was Prochazka’s third-round knockout victory.
“The support I’ve received has been a little overwhelming,” McGarity said. “But this is my UFC. I call it my ‘Ultimate F*** Cancer’ experience.”
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