Wanderlei Silva had previously spoken about his brain injury during the UFC antitrust lawsuit. That’s why everyone, from fans to pros, is concerned after Silva ended up on the wrong end of a knockout this past weekend. The free-for-all brawl erupted during the exhibition fight between former UFC fighter and legend Wanderlei Silva and former WBO lightweight champion Acelino Freitas at Spaten Fight Night 2.  The former was knocked out cold when someone threw a deadly punch in the chaotic melee.

Silva and Freitas headlined the boxing and MMA event at Sao Paulo’s ARCA Spaces. A day after the fracas, the former PRIDE middleweight champion appeared with a reddened face. His right eye was still shut. Reaching out to fans, Silva spoke about his current condition.

Wanderlei Silva updates fans on his injuries after brawl KO

Wanderlei Silva shared that he would be visiting a facility in his hometown, Curitiba, to get a few tests done to determine if he suffered any serious injury. He spoke in his native Portuguese. A rough translation of what he said goes like this: “I have a lot of headaches. I will take tests here in Curitiba to determine, to identify what if I have a serious head injury or not. This was the damage caused yesterday. Look here.”

He could speak, but his face told a different story. The right side of his nose was bloody. Swelling under the right eye was impossible to miss. Silva stared at the camera with only his left eye. Naturally, fans didn’t hold back. Many jumped at the chance to criticize his fight.

Wanderlei Silva was supposed to face another MMA icon, fellow Brazilian Vitor Belfort. But the former UFC light heavyweight champion, who last defeated former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in an exhibition, pulled out after suffering concussions during training camp.

If only Belfort had stayed put and fought Silva, maybe none of this would have happened.

What exactly happened for Wanderlei to get KO’d?

Only, in his place, former two-weight champion Acelino Freitas stepped into the ring. Born in Salvador, Bahia, Popo Freitas boasts a respectable record of 41 wins and 2 losses. In a decade-long career, he faced some of the biggest names of the era and won super featherweight and lightweight titles.

Beginning in 2022, he started participating in exhibition fights, with the last taking place on May 17 against actor Duda Nagle.

From the opening bell, it was clear which way the match tilted. 49-year-old Wanderlei Silva hasn’t fought since the 2018 loss to Quinton Jackson. Unable to match the speed and skill of the former professional boxer, he reportedly resorted to unfair means, such as headbutting.

In the fourth round, a headbutt resulted in Acelino Freitas calling out the referee before stepping aside, writhing in pain. But just when the referee walked away to check with ringside officials, a few members of Freitas’s team jumped into the ring, calling out Silva’s dirty tricks.

It didn’t take much time before Silva’s team members joined. A brawl ensued. Just when he stepped into the heat of the battle, a stray punch flattened Silva. Many expressed concerns over his condition. However, his conduct at the match nonetheless came under scathing criticism.

Do you think organizers should have set up Silva against a fighter who’s not from a boxing background?