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Wanderlei Silva’s rival says another UFC great sparked chaos before brutal knockout

Originally posted on HITC | By Donagh Corby | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 3:21 PM ET

Acelino Freitas, who faced Wanderlei Silva in a chaotic exhibition fight, is pointing fingers at a former UFC heavyweight champion for sparking the post-fight brawl.

Silva was disqualified after being deducted points for headbutting and even throwing kicks during the bizarre bout.

The chaos did not end there – teams from both sides clashed in the ring, and Silva was knocked out cold by a man in a tuxedo before being taken to the hospital as a precaution. He is said to be recovering well.

Freitas believes former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum played a major role in escalating the situation. Speaking after the event, he explained why he holds Werdum responsible for what happened.

‘Popo’ Freitas blames Fabricio Werdum for post-fight brawl

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

It is not easy to sort through exactly what happened in the lead-up to Wanderlei Silva’s hospital visit, even with all the footage that has come out.

While it is still unclear who started things off, Freitas pointed the finger at Werdum, arguing he should not have been anywhere near the event.

“I don’t know what the hell these guys put Werdum in this event for. This guy only messes up at other people’s events,” the former boxer said in a video published on his Instagram.

“Werdum, I’m ashamed, man. If I were you, I’d be ashamed, okay? I’m ashamed. You’re the one who came at me. There’s a video of you on top of me, trying to beat me up, man. But God knows what He’s doing.”

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Uma publicação compartilhada por Acelino Popó Freitas (@popofreitas)

Freitas’ words following controversial incident

In a video that quickly racked up over 13 million views, ‘Popo’ said the situation should have stayed between him and Silva, limited to what happened during their exhibition. Silva was disqualified in the fourth round of their bout.

“Wand, it was between you and me, it had nothing to do with the team. Our fight was you and me in the ring. You headbutted, it was fine, and I took everything. But unfortunately, Werdum cowardly invaded the ring with your son and went after everyone,” Freitas stated.

It remains unclear if any further action will be taken by authorities following the chaos of the event.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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