Bantamweight veteran Raoni Barcelos has spoken out following a scary medical emergency that brought a sudden end to his UFC Fight Night main event against Raul Rosas Jr. Barcelos, 39, collapsed and went unconscious during a clinch exchange in the fifth round inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. He was stretchered out of the Octagon and sent immediately to a Level 1 trauma center for evaluation.
Following comprehensive tests, UFC Brazil shared an update stating that the Brazilian fighter was stable and responsive with full mobility. Barcelos subsequently issued his first public statement on Instagram.
Barcelos and Coach Share Updates
Hey everyone, I want to let you all know that I’m doing great, and as soon as I can, I’ll send a video to you all!,
Barcelos wrote, translated from Portuguese. Thank you so much for everyone’s love and prayers! I promised a great fight, and I delivered on that promise. Thank you, God, and thank you to everyone who fought alongside me — both inside and outside the cage.
Head coach Davi Ramos also provided reassurance on social media after rushing to the hospital with Barcelos. Raoni is doing well,
Ramos said. He has all his senses, he’s moving his leg, his arm, his hand, he’s conscious, he’s talking, everything is fine with him.
Dr. Gustavo Medeiros later shared that Barcelos suffered a sudden illness during the bout and remained hospitalized strictly as a matter of protocol to stay under observation for a few days.
Fight Details and Bonuses
At the time of the fifth-round TKO stoppage, Barcelos was leading 39-37, 39-37 and 39-36 on the official judges’ scorecards, with one judge awarding him a 10-8 in round four. The defeat snapped a win streak for the veteran.
Despite the frightening conclusion, both Barcelos and the 21-year-old Rosas received $100,000 bonuses from the UFC for earning fight of the night honors.
