Former mixed martial arts star Wanderlei Silva is undergoing medical assessment following a chaotic conclusion to his exhibition boxing match against Acelino Freitas in São Paulo.
The 49-year-old Silva shared a video update on social media detailing his condition after the incident, which occurred during the aftermath of Saturday’s bout.
“I’m going to do new tests here in Curitiba to be able to identify if I had any more serious injury in my head or not,” Silva explained in the video, pointing to various areas of facial damage.
The Brazilian fighter, known for his aggressive style during his prime MMA years, sustained a broken nose and reported experiencing significant headaches following the incident. Silva was disqualified in the fourth round of the exhibition for illegal headbutts against 50-year-old Freitas, a former boxing champion.
The situation escalated when members from both fighters’ camps entered the ring after the bout’s conclusion. During the ensuing commotion, Silva was struck and fell to the canvas. Brazilian media identified the person who struck Silva as Freitas’ son, Rafael.
Former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum, who was in Silva’s corner, later confirmed on social media that Silva required facial stitches in addition to treatment for his fractured nose.
“The images don’t lie,” Werdum stated in Portuguese. “It was so evil for that guy to punch Wanderlei.”
Freitas offered a different perspective on the incident, placing responsibility on Silva’s corner team: “When the fight ended, the referee disqualified Wanderlei for the three headbutts, his coach went after me and punched me.”
Despite the severity of the situation, Silva expressed gratitude to his supporters in his video update. “Thank you guys for the support, thank you for all the messages. You really are wonderful. It’s very good to be able to count on friends at this time,” he said.
The boxing exhibition was Silva’s first competitive appearance since retiring from MMA in 2018. The event, promoted by Spaten Fight Night, released a statement noting that the incident did not represent their values of “sportsmanship and respect to the rules.”
Neither the Brazilian National Boxing Council nor the promotion has announced any disciplinary action regarding the incident.
