Wanderlei Silva’s night went from bad to worse during a boxing match on September 27, when the man they call “The Axe Murderer” got himself disqualified and minutes later was knocked out during a wild post-fight brawl leaving him severely battered.

The UFC Hall of Famer, who holds the record for most wins, knockouts, and title defences during his time in PRIDE, was pitted against Acelino Freitas in São Paulo, Brazil. where the scenes became increasingly bizarre. As Silva failed to make headway in his first boxing bout since losing to Rampage Jackson at Bellator 206 back in 2018, the fighter let frustration take hold and headbutted his opponent, leading to his disqualification.

Wanderlei Silva Knocked Out in Wild Post-Fight Brawl

Following the disqualification, tempers flared, and both of the fighter’s crew began to brawl it out after the bell. During the scrap, Silva was then struck on the back of his head and instantly hit the deck. Brazilian media have identified the attacker as allegedly being Freitas’ son, Rafael Freitas.

Wanderlei Silva, who is 49 and has an MMA record of 35-14-1 later appeared on social media with swollen eyes. He also reportedly suffered a fractured nose on night. The fighter was taken to hospital but has now been released, and has addressed his news making night.

“Yesterday in my fight against Popó I received a few warnings during the fight and in the 4th round I ended up getting disqualified,” explained Silva on September 28. “There was widespread confusion in the ring afterwards. At that moment, while I was just trying to protect my son and calm the situation, I was cowardly attacked, leading me to need medical attention. I want to reassure everyone: I’m fine and still being monitored,” he added. “I want to thank immensely the organization of the event, especially the Spaten team for their prompt service, care and attention to us. I still want to express my gratitude to the fans and my team for their dedication and especially to the audience who were present and accompanied this moment. My story has always been one of struggle, discipline, and surrender—and this is how I will continue.”

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