Jared Gordon 

Following an injury when he was 19 years old, Gordon was prescribed prescription pain medication. Shortly thereafter, the young fighter developed an addiction to the pills. Just two years later, Jared’s addiction worsened, and he became hooked to heroin. This addiction overtook Gordon’s life, so much so that by the age of 23 Gordon was homeless - a massive change for the young adult raised in an affluent Long Island suburb. To support his drug using lifestyle, Jared began to beg for money on the streets. When he wasn’t able to come up with the funds needed to buy dope, he resorted to robbery and assault, which led him to be arrested. Jared narrowly and miraculously beat the prosecution’s efforts to put him behind bars for 25 years to life. Following this good fortune, Jared checked himself into rehab, but was still unable to overcome his drug addiction. Subsequently, Jared’s addiction spiraled out of control, causing him to overdose on three separate occasions. In 2015, following his third overdose, which left him legally dead for two minutes, Gordon had a new determination to overcome his addiction once and for all. He checked himself back into rehab. Since then, through the highs and lows, Jared has managed to stay clean. 

 

Perhaps more inspiring than Jared’s perseverance to overcome his own drug addiction and traumas relating to sexual abuse he experienced at a young age is how he uses his platform to help others. Jared leverages his fame as a respected UFC fighter to support and give hope to those struggling with personal hardships. In almost every interview, Gordon refrains from speaking boastingly about money, fame, and opponents – as many fighters do; instead the UFC fighter uses the opportunity to bolster and encourage fans fighting personal battles. In addition to fighting, which he says is an outlet for him to overcome fear, Gordon regularly travels to various rehabilitation centers, where he assists and mentors recovering addicts. Jared was eager to get involved with The Overcomers Project since, according to the UFC fighter, it “is exactly what my platform is about – helping others.”  

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Click here to visit Jared's UFC page.