Wanderlei Silva Hospitalized After Boxing Exhibition in Sao Paulo
Wanderlei Silva, one of the most emblematic figures of mixed martial arts (MMA) in its early days, was treated in a hospital on Saturday after being knocked out following a boxing exhibition fight in Sao Paulo. Silva, 49, was disqualified in the fourth round for delivering illegal headbutts against Acelino Freitas, 50. Immediately after the fight, members of both teams entered the ring, triggering a brawl. During the altercation, Silva received a right hook that sent him violently to the ground. Brazilian media identified Silva’s attacker as Rafael, son of Freitas. Fabricio Werdum, former UFC champion and member of Silva’s team, reported on social media that Silva suffered a broken nose and required stitches on his face. He was discharged after receiving treatment.Acelino Freitas, former boxing champion, blamed Silva’s team for the fight, especially Werdum, who threw several punches at Freitas and other members of his team before Silva was knocked out.“Images don’t lie. It was very malicious that that guy hit Wanderlei. He punched him in the back of the head. I don’t know if it hit cleanly, but it could have been something very serious,” Werdum stated in Portuguese.
Fabricio Werdum
Neither the Brazilian National Boxing Council nor the promoter, Spaten Fight Night, announced immediate sanctions. Spaten Fight Night issued a statement stating that the events did not represent their values of “sportsmanship and respect for the rules”. The boxing match was Silva’s first since he retired from MMA in 2018. He was scheduled to face Brazilian MMA legend Vitor Belfort, but Belfort withdrew and was replaced by Freitas with less than a month’s notice. The fight was scheduled for eight rounds. Silva weighed 44 pounds more than Freitas for the exhibition.“When the fight ended, the referee disqualified Wanderlei for the three headbutts, his coach went after me and hit me. Wanderlei, the fight was between you and me and had nothing to do with the team. If you headbutted me, fine, I don’t care. But, unfortunately, Werdum cowardly entered the ring with your son and went against everyone. And I saw that someone also hit you”, expressed Freitas on social media.
Acelino Freitas
