Raoni Barcelos remains in the hospital following a scary moment at the end of his fight with Raul Rosas Jr. on Saturday night.
The Meta Apex main event went a hard five rounds that saw Barcelos out-dog Rosas with superior grappling and volume. But a minute and a half into the fifth round, Barcelos seemed to freeze during an exchange against the cage and then go limp. Rosas took Barcelos down, and Barcelos went completely limp with his mouth wide open. The fight was stopped and Raoni had to be stretchered out of the building.
Initial reports from the UFC and Barcelos’ coach were reassuring. 24 hours later, and MMA reporter Ariel Helwani shared another update.
“He’s able to talk,” Helwani tweeted. “He’s very conscious and lucid, I’m told. He’s able to walk and eat, as well. Still unclear what happened. And still unclear how long he’ll be in the hospital for.”
Another video from Barcelos’ doctor in Brazil shared more details.
“My name is Gustavo Medeiros, I’m Raoni’s doctor and I’m here to bring good news to everyone messaging his family and team,” Medeiros said on social media. “Raoni had a sudden illness during the fight and was hospitalized preventatively. Right now he’s lucid, oriented, and I’m in direct contact with our team in Las Vegas, so I’m well informed.”
“He’s lucid but remains hospitalized only by protocol. He needs a few days of observation to monitor progress and confirm he stays well. Sending this good news to all who follow him: he’s fine and will soon be back much stronger.”
We still don’t know what happened that caused Barcelos to collapse. There are those who insist Barcelos went unresponsive on the feet during the clinch battle, and those who believe he was tired but fine until Rosas took him down, suggesting an illegal headbutt was the cause of the incident. Various doctors have weighed in and said a brain bleed or a heart attack or the head hitting the canvas could all have been the cause.
Whatever the case, we expect a lengthy medical suspension for Raoni Barcelos, who had his five fight win streak snapped by Rosas on Saturday night. But your health is more important than any record. Let’s hope Bacelos gets some clear answers regarding what happens, and the official diagnosis doesn’t result in his fight career being over.