Raoni Barcelos endured one of the scariest moments in UFC history when he went down at the end of his main event fight against Raul Rosas Jr. and stayed down until medical personnel removed him from the octagon Saturday night.
MMA
Matt Brown issues warning that Raoni Barcelos’ medical emergency will happen again: ‘The UFC’s worst nightmare’
Published
7 hours agoon
The veteran Brazilian was taken to a local hospital for treatment, although what exactly happened to him is still unknown. But the terrifying moment had many fans and experts wondering if the UFC potentially just witnessed its first death in the octagon, which has never happened in the 30 plus years since the promotion's inception.
But retired UFC welterweight Matt Brown warns that as much as we should celebrate that Barcelos was ultimately OK after the incident, the worst is eventually going to happen.
“When I first heard about it — we heard a bunch of different rumors like he had a heart attack or a stroke, an aneurysm, a seizure, all these different things — and the first thing I thought is this is the UFC's worst nightmare,†Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. the Writer. “We know it's going to happen at some point.
“Someone's going die in there. Someone's going to [have] a seriously life-changing injury in there. It's absolutely amazing it hasn't happened up to this point. This is the UFC's worst nightmare.â€
Brown was actually in attendance on Saturday night cornering his fight Josiah Harrel in his bout against Elves Brener on the prelims. By the time Barcelos fought, Brown was back in the hotel with his fighter, but he kept hearing rumors and news about what happened in the main event.
While Brown is quick to raise concerns that a serious injury or death could happen in the UFC, he also pays homage to the promotion's medical staff for always taking due diligence with athletes before, during and after fights.
“You've got to give props to the UFC's medical team,†Brown said. “The medicals they require before the fight and they work with the commissions for a long time. I'd like to give credit to the athletic commissions, but the athletic commissions are the UFC. Dr. [Jeff] Davidson, we call him ‘Dr. D' — these guys have been on top of it.
“You've got to give credit where credit is due. They haven't had any serious life-changing injuries, no deaths and it's been more than 30 years now.â€
Brown actually saw firsthand how the UFC's medical staff steps up in moments like these after frequent teammate and training partner Mickey Gall was pulled from the event where he was originally scheduled to face Sedriques Dumas on the main card.
Brown says Gall had a medical issue that effectively forced the UFC to pull him from the event, and while it wasn't as serious as what happened to Barcelos, he knows the promotion was only looking out for Gall's best interests.
“This goes back to the medical [requirements] for the UFC,†Brown said. “It's not that serious of a thing, it's something they've been monitoring for a long time. It just finally crept up on him. It's going to be a simple procedure, something he'll come back from but they're like ‘no, you're not fighting, there's something wrong with your brain.' Credit where credit is due.â€
Listen to new episodes of The Fighter vs. The Writer every Tuesday with audio only versions of the podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio
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MMA
MVP fires back at Heather Hardys $10M lawsuit over Amanda Serrano fight
Published
3 minutes agoon
September 29, 2026
Most Valuable Promotions has responded to a lawsuit filed by
former world champion Heather
Hardy over her 2023 rematch with Amanda
Serrano.
Hardy is seeking $10 million in damages from MVP, alleging in her
complaint that the promotion moved forward with the bout despite
concerns about the risks involved. Hardy alleges that she suffered
permanent neurological damage from the fight, which took place in
August 2023 on the Jake
Paul-Nate Diaz
card.
Most Valuable Promotions cites Hardy’s medical clearance and
commission oversight in response to the lawsuit
According to Hardy's complaint, the fight presented an
“extraordinary and foreseeable risk of serious neurological harm.â€
She also alleges that the bout contributed to lasting issues,
including traumatic brain injury, memory loss and double
vision.
MVP disputed the allegations in a statement issued in response to
the lawsuit, emphasizing Hardy's medical clearance and the
commission's oversight of the contest.
“MVP has great respect for Heather Hardy. We recognize the
difficulty of her circumstances and extend our sincere sympathy and
hope that she receives the care and support she deserves,†MVP
responded (via ESPN). “Heather's participation on our Aug. 5,
2023, card was arranged through her promoter, Lou DiBella, who
contracted for the fight, and Heather publicly expressed her
gratitude for the opportunity both before and after the fight.â€
“MVP followed applicable protocols for the fight, Heather was
medically cleared to compete by the athletic commission overseeing
the event, and the bout proceeded under the commission's authority
and supervision in accordance with their standard medical and
safety requirements,†the statement added. “MVP remains committed
to fighter safety and supporting the athletes who compete in our
events in full compliance with commission standards.â€
MMA
UFC 332 Odds: Payton Talbott a massive favorite over former champion
Published
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MMA
Paul Felder: ‘I thought he had a heart attack’ at UFC Vegas 121
Published
4 hours agoon
September 29, 2026
Felder has witnessed several shocking moments during his years
working
Ultimate Fighting Championship events, but Raoni
Barcelos' collapse at
UFC Vegas 121 left him particularly shaken.
Felder was on commentary duty at Meta Apex in Las Vegas for the
latest Fight Night. The main event, which was a back-and-forth
battle, ended in frightening fashion as Barcelos appeared to go
limp during a wrestling exchange against the Octagon wall in the
final round. The referee immediately stopped the contest, and
Barcelos was removed from the Octagon on a stretcher and
transported to a hospital.
It was later confirmed that Barcelos was conscious and responsive.
For Felder, the moments after the finish remain unforgettable.
Paul Felder revisits Raoni Barcelos' collapse at UFC Vegas 121:
‘I thought he had a heart attack'
Speaking on the “Believe You Me†podcast, Felder recalled his
immediate reaction while watching the medical team attend to
Barcelos. The former fighter was alarmed when he saw a doctor check
Barcelos' pulse, something he said he had never witnessed in
similar circumstances.
“His neck was all clinched up and he was unconscious,†Felder said.
“And it looked like he was — I thought he had a heart attack, off
the bat. Then they came in, and they checked his pulse, which was
terrifying to see. I have never seen somebody that was KO'd, where
they come in and the first thing they did, the doctor put his
fingers right on Raoni's pulse. I was like, ‘Oh, this is really
bad.â€
Felder said the uncertainty continued as Barcelos remained
motionless.
“He was just not getting up and then I'm thinking, ‘Is it a stroke?
Is it a heart attack?'†Felder added. “But if they weren't doing
CPR and his pulse was at least there and present and he's
breathing, probably not a heart attack.â€
Barcelos reportedly remains under medical supervision but has
addressed fans on social media, assuring them that he is doing
well.
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