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Raoni Barcelos remains in the hospital following a scary moment at the end of his fight with Raul Rosas Jr. on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Initial reports from the UFC and Barcelos\u2019 coach were reassuring. 24 hours later, and MMA reporter Ariel Helwani shared another update.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s able to talk,\u201d Helwani tweeted. \u201cHe\u2019s very conscious and lucid, I\u2019m told. He\u2019s able to walk and eat, as well. Still unclear what happened. And still unclear how long he\u2019ll be in the hospital for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another video from Barcelos\u2019 doctor in Brazil shared more details.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name is Gustavo Medeiros, I\u2019m Raoni\u2019s doctor and I\u2019m here to bring good news to everyone messaging his family and team,\u201d Medeiros said on social media. \u201cRaoni had a sudden illness during the fight and was hospitalized preventatively. Right now he\u2019s lucid, oriented, and I\u2019m in direct contact with our team in Las Vegas, so I\u2019m well informed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s 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\u2019s fine and will soon be back much stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
We still don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s hope Bacelos gets some clear answers regarding what happens, and the official diagnosis doesn\u2019t result in his fight career being over.<\/p>\n