Wanderlei Silva opens up on terrifying KO and hospitalisation after fight brawl

Silva was among the fighters who spoke in favour of the UFC antitrust settlement last year, highlighting his own experience with a traumatic brain injury.

He took to Instagram on Sunday to share an update, showing his right eye completely swollen shut.

“Thank you all very much for your messages.

“I’m not feeling very well, very dizzy and have a headache that won’t go away.”

Silva then added: “This week, I’ll do more detailed tests to find out if I had any more serious head trauma.”

In another video, ‘The Axe Murderer’ spoke about the disqualification and what happened next.

“Yesterday in my fight against Popó I received a few warnings during the fight and in the 4th round I ended up getting disqualified.

“There was widespread confusion in the ring afterwards. At that moment, while I was just trying to protect my son and calm the situation, I was cowardly attacked, leading me to need medical attention.

“I want to reassure everyone: I’m fine and still being monitored.

“I want to thank immensely the organization of the event, especially the Spaten team for their prompt service, care and attention to us.

“I still want to express my gratitude to the fans and my team for their dedication and especially to the audience who were present and accompanied this moment.

“My story has always been one of struggle, discipline, and surrender – and this is how I will continue,” Silva concluded.

Wanderlei Silva’s last MMA appearance was seven years ago

Wanderlei Silva’s final MMA bout took place seven years ago this week.

After a remarkable career that included stints in both the UFC and PRIDE FC, Silva finished his fighting days with Bellator during his forties.

He dropped a decision to Chael Sonnen at Bellator NYC in 2017, a matchup built up around their long-standing rivalry from ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ days.

The following year, he was stopped by Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in the second round of their fight at Bellator 206.