Acelino Freitas has released a statement addressing the aftermath of his contentious boxing exhibition against Wanderlei Silva, which took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday.
The bout quickly escalated into chaos when the UFC Hall of Famer, Wanderlei Silva, was disqualified for repeatedly using headbutts during the Spaten Fight Night 2 event. Further pandemonium ensued post-fight, resulting in Wanderlei Silva being knocked unconscious during a brawl involving members from both fighter`s teams.
Freitas Addresses Controversy and Hospitalization
Initially, Silva`s opponent, Acelino Freitas, offered an apology for the post-fight disorder. However, Freitas has now issued a new statement after his son, Rafael Freitas, was identified as the individual responsible for knocking out Silva during the chaotic scuffle.
From his hospital bed, the decorated boxer, known as ‘Popo’ (with a 41-2 record), addressed widespread rumors of a premeditated attack on Silva, while simultaneously lambasting ‘The Axe Murderer’ for what he described as `dirty` tactics during their match.
“I’m in Salvador. At the Hospital. Boarded. In observation. Having a surgical procedure tomorrow, I’ll pass on more details with you all as soon as possible,” Freitas captioned his latest Instagram post.
He expressed a desire to be celebrating his victory, asserting that “nothing that happened will overshadow this epic moment for boxing and Brazilian sport.”
Freitas urged the public not to be “manipulated” by circulating audio and video, emphatically denying any premeditation of post-fight chaos by himself or his team. “Never, under any circumstances would – my team and I – premeditate post-fight confusion. I have decades of boxing, with the principles of the noble art naturally woven into my life … and I’ve never been involved in any of that, let alone my team and my kids!” he wrote.
He accused the opposing team of trying to pin their own history of misconduct onto him. Freitas concluded by emphasizing his dominant performance: “Anyway: there’s only one image prevailing in the show prepared by Spaten: that of my victory, punishing Wand round after round – which unbalanced him, to the point of all illegal measures, playing dirty and being disqualified for anti-sports actions, when ONLY HE AND I were in the ring road.”
He prayed for a swift recovery from his medical procedure, which he attributed to “the savagery of those who should be there to absorb and dismiss any misunderstanding – and not the other way around,” and vowed to return stronger, facing opponents who respect boxing.
Wanderlei Silva`s Early Morning Health Update
Early Monday morning, Wanderlei Silva shared an update on his condition following the widely circulated KO. The 49-year-old MMA legend had previously mentioned a persistent headache on Sunday. This pain later prevented him from sleeping, necessitating another hospital visit.
In an Instagram story, Silva stated:
“Yeah, my situation really isn’t good. Look at my eye. It’s half past three in the morning now. I can’t sleep because my head is throbbing too much. And tomorrow, not tomorrow, in a little while, right? I’ll have to go to the hospital for some more tests.”
