Raoni Barcelos remains in hospital after a scary moment following his brawl with Raul Rosas Jr. on Saturday night.
The Meta Apex Main Event saw a tough five rounds that saw Barcelos outplay Rosas with great fight and volume. But a minute and a half into the fifth round, Barcelos appeared frozen and then limping during an exchange against the cage. Rosas took Barcelos down and Barcelos went completely limp with his mouth open. The fight was stopped and Raon had to be dragged out of the building.
Initial reports from UFC and Barcelona coach were soothing. 24 hours later, MMA reporter Ariel Helwani shared another update.
“He can talk,” Helwani tweeted. “I’m told he’s very conscious and lucid. He’s also able to walk and eat. It’s still unclear what happened. And it’s still unclear how long he’ll be in the hospital.”
Another video from Barcelos’ doctor in Brazil shared more details.
“My name is Gustavo Medeiros, I’m Raon’s doctor and I’m here to bring good news to everyone who sends messages to his family and team,” Medeiros said on social media. “Raoni suddenly fell ill during the fight and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. He is clear, oriented and I am in direct contact with our team in Las Vegas so I am well informed.”
“He’s clear, but will remain in the hospital under protocol only. He’ll need a few days of observation to monitor progress and make sure he stays healthy. I’m sending good news to everyone watching him: he’s fine and will be back much stronger soon.”
We still don’t know what happened that caused Barcelos to collapse. There are those who claim Barcelos was unresponsive on the feet during the clinch fight, and those who believe he was tired but healthy until Rosas took him down, suggesting the incident was caused by an illegal headbutt. Different doctors have weighed and said it could have been a brain bleed, a heart attack, or a blow to the head.
In any case, we expect a long medical suspension for Raoni Barcelos, who had his five-fight winning streak snapped on Saturday night in Rosa. But your health is more important than any record. We hope that Bacelos gets clear answers about what happened and that the official diagnosis does not lead to the end of his fighting career.
