MMA Legend Attacked: Post-Fight Brutality (Video)

A highly anticipated boxing match between two Brazilian combat sports legends took a chaotic turn last weekend, culminating in a massive brawl that left one fighter unconscious and another with a broken nose.

The bout featured 49-year-old Wanderlei Silva, making his boxing debut, against fellow countryman and former boxing world champion acelino “Popó” Freitas. The fight itself ended prematurely when Silva was disqualified for a series of unauthorized headshots. However, the controversy didn’t end there.

Simplesmente a maior pancadaria generalizada após a luta de Popó x Wanderlei Silva

Loucura pic.twitter.com/heV17G0uLN

– Central do Braga (@CentralDoBrega) September 28, 2025

Immediately following the disqualification, tensions flared between the representatives of both athletes, quickly escalating into a full-blown melee. Amidst the pandemonium, Silva was struck and lost consciousness. ESPN reports that the blow may have come from Freitas’ son, though it remains unclear if the punch was intentionally aimed at Silva.

Silva sustained a broken nose, requiring stitches. MMA legend and Silva’s teammate, Fabricio Werdum, expressed his concern, stating, I don’t know if he hit completely exactly, but it could end very seriously.

Conversely, Freitas has placed the blame for the chaos squarely on the ring’s atmosphere, suggesting that his actions were provoked.Freitas,conversely,puts the blame on the chaos in the ring directly,claiming that his actions had provoked a conflict, the report states.

This bout marked Silva’s first fight since 2018 and his initial foray into professional boxing. Throughout his illustrious MMA career, the Brazilian competed in 51 bouts, amassing a record of 35 wins, 14 losses, and 1 draw, with one bout ending in a no-contest. He is widely recognized for his time in major organizations like the UFC and Pride FC, where he dominated from 2000 to 2004, winning 16 of 18 fights.

Freitas, 50, is a former world champion in two boxing weight classes, boasting an notable professional record of 41 wins in 43 fights. While he largely retired from professional boxing in 2007, he has had three bouts in the subsequent decade and has been participating in exhibition matches as 2022.