VINCE MURDOCK: LONG BIO (~400 WORDS)

Vince Murdock is the founder of Miles for Moyamoya, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and research funding for moyamoya disease. He is the first professional athlete to undergo moyamoya brain bypass surgery.

A professional mixed martial artist out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, Vince trained under UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber and built a professional record of 12-6-0 with 9 wins by knockout or technical knockout. He competed in Bellator MMA, on Dana White's Contender Series, and on The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 (Team Ortega), where he knocked out Dustin Lampros in the first round of the elimination fight.

In June 2019, while preparing for his UFC debut against Jordan Griffin, a brain scan required by the Minnesota State Athletic Commission revealed that his left carotid artery was 100% blocked by moyamoya disease, a rare progressive cerebrovascular condition that affects roughly 1 in 100,000 people. A small stroke had already occurred during a pickup basketball game months earlier. He was 30 years old.

On 13 November 2019, Dr. Gary Steinberg performed an eight-hour cerebral artery bypass at Stanford. The surgery was the first moyamoya bypass Dr. Steinberg performed on a professional athlete. Vince has been sober since the day of his surgery.

Recovery began on a bicycle. Eight months after the operation, Vince had ridden more than ten thousand miles and follow-up imaging showed his bypass vessels had quadrupled in size. Three months post-surgery he was sparring again. By May 2020, Dr. Steinberg cleared him to compete.

On 4 November 2020, less than one year after brain bypass surgery, Vince fought Luis Saldana on Dana White's Contender Series, broadcast on ESPN+. He has since competed on The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 and continues to compete professionally.

Today, sponsored by Ventum Racing, Vince races on the gravel and endurance scene. He is a finisher of Unbound XL (350 miles), Sea Otter Classic, Grinduro, and Sacramento Cyclocross. He founded the Enjoy Cycling Club in Sacramento to build a more inclusive cycling community. Through Miles for Moyamoya, he has raised $36,000+ toward a $100,000 research goal.

His story has been featured on ESPN, ABC10 Sacramento, and The US Sun, and on the Choose the Hard Way, Dialed Health (Episode 199), and Vibe With Humanity podcasts. Vince lives in Sacramento, California with his wife Kira.

Last updated: 25 May 2026.
