- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,171,642
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Wanderlei Silva has provided a health update after suffering serious injuries in a violent post-fight brawl that erupted following his Spaten Fight Night 2 boxing match yesterday (Sat., Sept. 27, 2025) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Silva was disqualified during his exhibition bout against Brazilian boxing great Acelino “Popo” Freitas for repeated headbutts — apparently forgetting he wasn’t back in PRIDE. Shortly after the fight was waved off, chaos broke out inside the ring. The melee left “The Axe Murderer” unconscious and badly injured (watch it).
“Everyone saw the footage. Popo’s team invaded the ring after the result. They came at us, gave us the finger, and cursed us, as they had been doing all week,” Silva said in a video just hours after the fight. “I never attacked anyone; I was there separating them, and suddenly, I was punched in the back of the head, then punched in the eye again, and I was cowardly attacked. As you can see, my eye is still bleeding, and I have a terrible headache. I thought it was a very sad act.”
Today (Sun., Sept. 28, 2025), Silva shared a follow-up update from Curitiba, showing the full extent of the damage.
“That’s it, folks. I just arrived in Curitiba. Look how my eye [is]. I am very well accompanied with my doctor [my wife],” Silva said. “Honestly, I was well taken care of by the event. They took me to the hospital yesterday and I had some tests done. But since I have a really bad headache, I will do more tests here in Curitiba to be able to figure out what happened to me and if I had any more serious head injuries. I will also see an ophthalmologist because I am not able to open my eye and this was the damage caused yesterday. This week I will do the exams and bring more news. Thank you for rooting for me and for all of the messages.”
Freitas’ son, Rafael, has been identified as the person who knocked Silva out during the brawl and has since apologized in an interview with Globo.
“When I realized it, that widespread confusion began, started by the Wanderlei team, his son, coach Andre Dida, and Werdum. When I saw them all assaulting my father and my brothers, I went into self-defense. In the heat of that moment, I just thought about defending myself and defending my family,” Rafael said. “I want to apologize to Wanderlei and his whole family for everything he’s done for his sport as well. And to say it wasn’t my intention”
Since the incident, several new angles of the attack have surfaced.
At this time, Silva’s full medical status remains unclear, but the 48-year-old combat sports icon has promised to provide further updates once he undergoes additional testing.
Continue reading...
