WATCH: Ronda Rousey Sends Heartfelt Message to Paralyzed Long Valley Native

In a split second, while doing what he loved, Steve Watts’ life was changed forever.

The Long Valley native was paralyzed from the neck down during a mixed martial arts fight in California back in 2014 and has been working to recover ever since.

Watts’ battle back from the devastating injury has not gone unnoticed, and the story has made its way through Ultimate Fighting Championship circles, all the way to the sport’s most notable figure, Ronda Rousey.

Rousey, an Olympic bronze medalist in judo and current reigning UFC champion, has put the sport on the map for women. She recently sent a video message to Watts, sharing her thoughts on his road back from the injury and imploring him to continue working hard.

Watts responded via video as well, and the communication was put together and posted to YouTube by MMA Digest. See the video here: