Raoni Barcelos going unconscious in the UFC Vegas 121 main event against Raul Rosas Jr. left everybody deeply concerned. But beyond the sight of the Brazilian bantamweight lying flat on the canvas, the exact reason behind his blackout during the clash only added to the mystery. Now, we finally have some clarity on what happened.

In a recent Overdogs Brazil podcast, former UFC light heavyweight champion turned coach Glover Teixeira, who was at the Apex last Saturday when the scare with Barcelos unfolded, confirmed the nature of the Brazilian’s injury.

“It was different because it wasn’t a knockout,” Teixeira said. “If it had been a knockout, we’re used to that. A fighter takes a shot, gets knocked out, okay, let’s take him to the hospital, all right. But this was something that happened out of nowhere, and we started thinking about all kinds of things. Could it have been his heart? Could it have been something neurological? They went in and ran the tests.

“There was some swelling in his brain, so it was a traumatic brain injury, and maybe that swelling caused him to black out. It was the body’s defense mechanism. ‘Let’s shut this down because this guy isn’t going to stop.’ His mind was stronger than his body, right? He didn’t want to give up.” 

Teixeira’s words suggest that Barcelos’ sudden collapse didn’t happen from an apparent slam by Raul Rosas Jr. that many noticed during the opening minutes of the fifth round at UFC Vegas 121. The Brazilian suffered a traumatic brain injury during the fight, which abruptly shut down his body as a kind of defense mechanism.

Barcelos’ own physician, Dr. Gustavo Medeiros, who monitored him through his team in Las Vegas, didn’t reflect much on the fighter’s condition. Gustavo said that the bantamweight suffered a “sudden illness,” but clarified that the veteran was not in any danger. However, a different doctor, Dr. Brian Sturrer on YouTube, ran an assessment of Barcelos’ condition and pointed out that he could develop brain injuries by repeatedly taking shots to the head.

Ultimately, it seems Raoni Barcelos indeed suffered from a brain injury. However, Glover Teixeira, who has acted as the Brazilian’s mentor in MMA since 2009, stood alongside Barcelos’ father Laerte and initially thought a clash of heads caused the collapse.

“Laerte is an extremely stoic guy, [saying] ‘Yeah, we have to see. I don’t know if it was an accidental headbutt that we didn’t see,'” Teixeira added. “It looked like it might have been an accidental headbutt and then he went down, but we didn’t know. And seeing him being taken out on a stretcher at that moment, man, it was the most desperate moment in MMA.

“I saw everyone’s faces, Hunter’s face, the concern. I was worried too, but I kept looking at everyone’s faces. You find yourself looking for the expression of the UFC doctor.”

For Teixeira, it’s only natural to feel shaken seeing his mentee lying unconscious on the ground. But despite the uncertainty surrounding Barcelos’ condition, he finally sent reassurance to his fans. 

Raoni Barcelos addresses the fans following the scary knockout loss

After enduring the most brutal knockout of his life, the UFC’s statement revealed that the Brazilian veteran was transferred to a Level 1 trauma center to be evaluated by experts.

Spending hours under the care of doctors, Barcelos made progress and soon regained consciousness. Everyone who showed concern for the Brazilian finally breathed a sigh of relief when he communicated with fans directly from his hospital bed.

“I’m doing really well and undergoing all the exams here at the hospital,” Barcelos said. “This is just the hospital’s protocol, so I have to go through all of them. That’s it, guys. I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and all the kind messages. Please keep sending that positive energy.”

“We move forward, on to the next one,” he continued. “I gave everything I had inside that cage. Like I said before, I was only leaving that cage if I was carried out, and that’s exactly how it happened. It wasn’t the way I wanted it to be. I wanted to become champion and leave with the victory, but God knows everything. So we move on to the next one.”

Following that statement, Raoni Barcelos was discharged from the hospital, and he rejoined his family. The UFC veteran again showed gratitude toward everyone for sending well wishes by uploading a picture with his wife and young son.

“Discharged and with my family,” Barcelos wrote in Portuguese. “I want to thank everyone for the love, prayers and positive vibrations. God is our victory.”

It’s nothing short of a relief to see Barcelos finally getting back to normalcy. However, his brain injury has left several questions about his future in the UFC, especially at 39 years old. Right now, though, his focus should be on recovery.