Antoine Hayes, coach and former fighter known as “Herc”, passes away at age 47
Antoine Hayes, 47, more commonly known to fighters and friends at “Hercules” or “Herc,” has unfortunately passed away.
On December 14, Hayes, who has battled a number of health issues in the past few years, let the world know of his condition.
“Hey, I know this is a lot but it kinda has to be..,” he said in a social media post. “Well guys, I’m officially disabled….I’ve been contemplating whether or not to tell you but a friend said to me ‘go alone you go fast, go together you go far.’ So my heart surgery failed…my valve isn’t working….now I don’t know all the technicals but what I do know is that due to ongoing heart complications that weren’t resolved with the initial surgery the kidney thing had to be postponed because my body wasn’t strong enough they said and now I’m a candidate for a double transplant and I’m unable to work for the foreseeable future.(I’ll post an update when I hear the correct terms) But basically my heart isn’t hearting…I know it’s at a 25% injection fraction which is apparently very very bad(means that it’s not pumping so well….so January 3rd I will have a consultation with the transplant team and heart failure doctor’s to discuss a double transplant….a DOUBLE TRANSPLANT! Heart and Kidneys…. So if that wasn’t awesome enough I also have a mass in my brain above my right ear…(It’s not a Tumuh) 😂😂😂…ok it actually IS a Tumuh…but for now it’s benign so that’s on the back burner…. I also get to wear this cool vest that shocks me back to life in case I go into cardiac arrest (so that’s a cool thing) Dr. Naveed Saeed is getting me a wheelchair next week because I walk at a snail’s pace now if I can walk, (shout out to my ex wife Maria and my daughter Sascha for wheeling me downstairs in my desk chair so I could get to appointments.) Also special shout out to Hayley,love ya kiddo, for coming by and helping me at the house with all sorts of things including bringing me a shower chair(helping me fill out all my disability paperwork)…yep I’m now one of those sit-down in the shower people…now the reason I can’t walk is my blood pressure is so low I get dizzy lightheaded my legs get all wobbly and eventually my heart and chest feels like someone is poking me with a hot iron….(Look Up POTS Syndrome it’s all the rage 😂)I tells ya its not fun.But don’t cry for me Argentina, I will survive….for as long as I know how to love I know I’ll be alright….Sorry back on subject….I won’t be coaching or working for a while….but I will make it because if anyone is strong enough to make it out of this on the other side of it; it’s me… I know this is a lot of hard work but I’m not done giving the Earth everything I’ve got to give…(Also thanks Mom for sending me food .. even though you sent me some Pork products 😂 what’s wrong witchu you know I don’t eat that stuff….) Thank you to my guy Nello for constantly calling and checking up on me.Thanks to my brothers at Gaínz Fit Club for sending me some Cash and bringing me food…. I really appreciate it….and thanks to the people that I’ve told this to already because my head was in crazy spaces….Thank you Melissa Fort for talking some sense into me and helping me realize I am strong enough to handle this, when at some points I thought I’d die from it. Anyways to summarize it’s a deadly situation but I won’t die, I can’t gotta watch my daughter Sascha graduate High School and College and get married and have kid’s (not too soon though) there’s alot I have to do before I go, and now’s just not the time Inshallah…If Gpd wants me he has to wait in line there are other people who need me first.
Take Care all
Antwjuan “Herc” Hayes
“Future Heart Failure, Kidney Failure and Brain Tumor Survivor”
Just two days after Christmas, on December 27, the 6’0″ heavyweight fighter posted an update to health status on his personal Facebook page.
“Hey guys here’s an update on my situation,” Herc said. “Unfortunately I’m becoming less mobile everyday, Thank Allah Drs Ahmed and Saeed got me that wheelchair or else I’d be incapable of doing anything…I can’t walk from the Bedroom to the living room anymore…and sometimes I get these incredible headaches whenever I lay down so I have to sit up for hours for it to go away..then I can lay down for a few hours, i get these ‘waves’ that flow over me that completely exhaust me out of nowhere…and getting ready for clinic in the morning is a pain because 1 minute of movement in the chair requires 5 mins recovery, but the good News is Jan 3rd I will see the team at UofC to discuss my plan of action…and hopefully I’ll get the transplants and start rehabilitation.., and begin my journey back.
Unfortunately, Hayes did not make it to that January 3 appointment and sadly passed away.
Herc Hayes, who held a professional mixed martial arts record of 11-7, last fought in 2013 when he defeated Tomas Pakutinskas under the Bushido Fighting Championship banner.
He was an MMA and Kickboxing Coach at Gainz Fit Club in Lombard, Illinois, and an MMA and Kickboxing coach at Hardknox Combat Academy.
