Brazilian mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei Silva has shared a detailed update regarding his condition after being seriously injured in a violent post-fight incident at Spaten Fight Night 2 on September 27, 2025, in Sao Paulo.

The chaos unfolded shortly after Silva was disqualified during his exhibition boxing bout against former world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas for repeated headbutts.

Immediately after the fight was halted, members of Freitas’ corner and others entered the ring, sparking a chaotic melee that left Silva unconscious and badly hurt.

Silva Describes the Assault and His Injuries

Hours after the altercation, Silva recorded a video to address fans and clarify the events.

“Everyone saw the footage. Popo’s team invaded the ring after the result. They came at us, gave us the finger, and cursed us, as they had been doing all week,” Silva said. “I never attacked anyone; I was there separating them, and suddenly, I was punched in the back of the head, then punched in the eye again, and I was cowardly attacked. As you can see, my eye is still bleeding, and I have a terrible headache. I thought it was a very sad act.”

Silva emphasized that the violence was unexpected and entirely unprovoked, noting that he had been attempting to manage the situation rather than escalate it.

Follow-Up From Curitiba: Silva Monitors Head and Eye Injuries

The next day, Silva provided an update from his hometown of Curitiba, demonstrating the injuries he sustained.

“That’s it, folks. I just arrived in Curitiba. Look how my eye [is]. I am very well accompanied with my doctor [my wife],” he said. “Honestly, I was well taken care of by the event. They took me to the hospital yesterday and I had some tests done. But since I have a really bad headache, I will do more tests here in Curitiba to be able to figure out what happened to me and if I had any more serious head injuries. I will also see an ophthalmologist because I am not able to open my eye and this was the damage caused yesterday. This week I will do the exams and bring more news. Thank you for rooting for me and for all of the messages.” via MMAMania.

Silva’s opponent, Acelino Freitas, has apologized for the post-fight brawl but has not publicly acknowledged that one of his sons delivered the knockout punch captured in viral videos.

Since the incident, Rafael Freitas deleted his Instagram account, which had been tagged by his brother, Juan Freitas, during the event. Aside from being a recognizable figure in the melee, he was also identified by Juan in a now-deleted Instagram story.

The UFC Hall of Famer Silva previously took a seven-year hiatus from fighting after being KO’d by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Bellator 206 in September 2018, highlighting that even experienced fighters face significant risks when events spiral out of control.