The punch that no-one saw coming at at Spaten Fight Night 2 — a short right-hook and Wanderlei Silva was out cold. Like, it was one of those moments where you wonder if a fighter is even alive. Worse even, it didn’t even take place officially within the bout. It wasn’t even Silva’s opponent, retired boxing star Acelino “Popó” Freitas who threw the punch but the latter’s son son Rafael. The outcome was so bizarre, as Wanderlei is a veteran of the fight world, on the brink of touching 50. It raises an important question: Why find yourself in such a position as a retired fighter in the first place?

The moment serves as a stark reminder for MMA fighters to handle their finances wisely while in their prime and to make smart investments to secure life beyond the cage. By contrast, flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson has taken a different path. During his time in the UFC and ONE Championship, he strategically built businesses and income streams that now sustain him through retirement and into his later years, as he recently shared in an interview with Ariel Helwani.

Demetrious Johnson on how he avoided the fate of Wanderlei Silva

Back in the ’90s and 2000s, MMA was still in its early development phase, and even the biggest names earned far less than fighters do today, which, consequently, has forced many veterans to struggle in retirement. After the Wanderlei Silva knockout clip went viral on social media, Demetrious Johnson called the incident “unfortunate.” Accordingly, Ariel Helwani quickly asked Johnson about his approach, saying, “You have to make a lot of the right moves and the right decisions before you get to 49 so that you’re not stuck in this spot?“

“100%,” Johnson replied. In contrast, today’s generation of fighters has more resources and knowledge, allowing them to prioritize financial security for themselves and their families. For example, Demetrious Johnson began branching out into live-streaming himself gaming and calling fights on his YouTube channel well before retiring. After leaving competition, he fully immersed himself in content creation, becoming a legitimate media personality in the fight world.

Speaking about his transition, DJ said: “Before I retired, I was in the training — I’m not in the YouTube space, but the content creation space — for 10 years before I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to start fully focusing on this before I retire.’ And then now, when it comes to shooting, I know how to do it. Okay, guys. So I do all this stuff, I do all this stuff, I do all this stuff; I’m going to a more cave, all the blah, blah, blah, so I can basically take my money — cash or my YouTube — on the road by myself.”

During that era, MMA produced overnight stars, but the rapid rise of fighters often left them with limited financial knowledge. Many athletes and their managers handled their earnings themselves, frequently without guidance from financial advisors or PR teams. As a result, numerous fighters — including Wanderlei Silva and even Mike Tyson — struggled to manage their money and secure long-term stability, although ‘Iron’ Mike found resurgence in his post-retirement success. Reflecting on his own career, Tyson noted, “I made more money in my 50s than in my 20s,” highlighting his return to the spotlight.

Vitor Belfort calls out Silva’s decision to step into exhibition with Acelino Freitas at first

Wanderlei Silva was scheduled to fight Vitor Belfort at a Spaten Fight League event in his home country. However, when Belfort withdrew due to injury, Silva chose to stay on the card and instead face former two-division Brazilian boxing champion Acelino Freitas. From the very beginning, Freitas took control and repeatedly landed strikes on the MMA legend. As the rounds progressed, Silva grew frustrated and, in Round 3, shoved Freitas to the canvas, igniting a chaotic exchange as both fighters threw punches after the bell.

Then, in Round 4, Silva head-butted and fouled Freitas multiple times. As a result, the referee docked him three points and ultimately disqualified him as the bout spiraled out of control. In the end, Silva paid the price for instigating the chaos, leaving the ring with bruises and stitches around his eye.

Meanwhile, Belfort, who witnessed the brawl firsthand, sharply criticized his fellow Brazilian and seized the spotlight to address him directly: “When we’re at our worst, we reveal who we are, and when we’re at our best, we reveal our hearts. What makes me sad is that this reveals who they always were. Wanderlei, I’m sorry, you did something wrong. You literally destroyed something we built over years. Martial arts, brother. You were fighting an excellent boxer. You shouldn’t even have gotten into the ring with him. The guy got into it with you at the last minute and you do something like this.”