The MMA world descended to the southern hemisphere this weekend. On one corner, Perth hosted the UFC Fight Night, where lightweight contenders Carlos Ulberg and Dominick Reyes clashed. Then, far away from the Western Australian city, in the country of samba, carnival, and beaches, a boxing and MMA event occurred. Fans are still raving about Ulberg’s KO win over Reyes. But it appears the happenings in Sao Paulo may soon edge out the UFC showpiece.

The Spaten Fight Night 2 at ARCA Spaces promised all the excitement one could wish for. A boxing exhibition between MMA legend and former UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva and one of Brazilian boxing’s greatest prides Acelino Freitas, headlined the show. Only a few could have imagined the way it ended. Chaos erupted after the main event ended in a DQ win for the former WBO lightweight champion. Silva suffered a shocking knockout when campmates and followers brawled inside the ring. As the footage of the incident gained traction, a few brought to notice the Brazilian icon’s painful admission about brain injury.

Wanderlei Silva opens up on his struggles

MMA Fighting‘s senior reporter, Damon Martin, revealed how, during the UFC’s antitrust lawsuit, Wanderlei Silva spoke about his head injury. “”I fear that during my career I have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) and am noticing symptoms common with TBI and CTE.”

Yahoo Sports shared a few more excerpts from Silva’s letter: “I suffer from sleep apnea and have difficulty sleeping and breathing. That I can recall, I have had four surgeries on my nose, one on my face, two on my left knee, one on my right knee, and one on my elbow.”

According to Martin, it will be ‘absolutely despicable’ if an organizer books Silva for an event again. The tweet featured the clip of the post-fight brawl. The former PRIDE middleweight champion was knocked out cold by a huge punch from a person whose details remain unavailable. Silva was unconscious and lying on the floor. Later, officials stepped in to check on his condition.

It’s been eight years since the mixed martial arts legend fought.

From fight night to fright night

His last fight, on September 29, 2018, occurred against the man he knocked out back in 2003 to win the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix: Quinton Jackson. Representing his WAND Fight team, the 49-year-old fighter, whose cold stare once struck fear into every opponent, reportedly weighed over 44 pounds more than Freitas, who turned 50 a week ago.

But despite being a year old, the difference soon emerged. The experienced boxer from Salvador, Bahia, who faced the likes of Diego Corrales and Joel Casamayor in his prime, retired from professional boxing in 2017. However, he has been fairly active in the exhibition circuit. From the opening bell, Freitas dominated the eight-round bout (of 2 minutes each).

However, it appears Wanderlei Silva had other plans. He started headbutting Freitas. But in doing so, he lost two points as well.

Things came to naught when Silva’s headbutt had Freitas cringing with pain. After separating them, the referee stepped over to discuss with ringside officials. However, a free-for-all brawl ensued when Freitas’ corner jumped into the ring, accusing Silva of foul play.

It seems Wanderlei Silva was scheduled for a face-off against Vitor Belfort on the Spaten Fight Night 2. The two fought a thriller back in 1998 that ended in a first-round loss for Silva.

Do you think Wanderlei Silva should fight ever again?