At UFC Houston, a name written on the Octagon fence caught the attention, as the UFC honored a 12-year-old girl fighting for her life. The 12-year-old named Maya Gebala was involved in a devastating incident in British Columbia that shook Canada. In a sport defined by fighting, the UFC’s most powerful statement at the event had nothing to do with the fight card and performances inside the Octagon.

“The UFC pays tribute to 12-year-old B.C. shooting survivor Maya Gebala as she fights for her life 🙏❤️‍🩹🇨🇦,” RTN Toronto posted on X, where the UFC Houston’s fence had Maya’s name written on it. Also, the outlet shared a picture of the 12-year-old from the hospital.

In the tragic event, the 12-year-old was shot in the head and neck, leaving her unresponsive for several days, with her chances of recovery unknown. However, good news came on Saturday as Maya opened her eyes for the first time. Letting the world know, the victim’s mother, Cia Edmonds, uploaded a video on her social media filmed from the hospital. Soon after, more encouraging updates followed as she began taking her own breaths and also started moving.

“Her eye is open and she’s responding and moving around, and she is moving her hands,” Maya’s mother posted about her journey on Facebook.

For the fans, it was deeply emotional to see the seventh-grade student enduring that pain and slowly fighting her way back at such a young age. So, when they actually saw the UFC giving her a tribute at the marquee UFC Houston fight night event, their reaction was nothing but full gratitude for the promotion, along with prayers and support for Maya Gebala.

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Fans react to UFC paying tribute to 12-year-old mass school shooting survivor

One fan chimed in and wrote, “Such a nice gesture. Pray for Maya.” Then another user also appreciated the UFC for the kind gesture, writing, “UFC is rad. Love them shouting out for heroes like Maya ♥️.” After that, a fan praised the promotion for the heartfelt moment, writing, “Classy and kind. Well done.”

Well, Dana White and co. deserve all the praise coming their way for making the UFC Houston event special with this tribute. But the promotion has shown this kind of gesture before. During UFC 216, the head honcho started the main card with a message honoring the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting survivors, who claimed 58 lives and affected nearly 500 people.

As fans continued giving the UFC credit, some also directly showed support toward Maya Gebala for displaying tremendous willpower at such a young age. One fan wrote, “The world is praying for you,” then another followed with kind words, writing, “There are fighters in the UFC. They respect how hard Maya is fighting.” And that rang true. The fighters throwing down, showing their warrior spirit, leaving the arena battered and bruised, all while Maya’s name stood against the fence, was truly something special.

Lastly, another fan asked, “Does she have a chance at surviving she was shot in neck and head?” As mentioned before, Maya was shot in the head and neck, which left her unconscious. But she has fortunately survived the incident and is reportedly doing better. However, her mother revealed that another emergency surgery is taking place, so prayers remain ongoing.

That said, as Maya Gebala goes through this incredibly difficult time, prayers and good wishes remain with her and her family as everyone hopes for a strong and swift recovery from the tragic incident.