Raoni Barcelos Leaves Hospital After Frightening UFC Collapse

The frightening scene had left the MMA world waiting for news on the 39-year-old Brazilian, and on Tuesday night, Barcelos finally provided some himself.

Raoni Barcelos Discharged From Hospital 

Sharing the update on social media, Barcelos (22-6-0) posted a photo with his family on Instagram after leaving the hospital, offering a welcome update following an incident that brought his fight to an abrupt and worrying end. 

“Discharged from the hospital and with my family!” the veteran captioned the story. “I want to thank everyone for the affection, prayers, and positive energy! God is our victory!”

The frightening moment came in the fifth round of what had been a fight Barcelos had been controlling. In fact, he was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards when he lost consciousness during a takedown exchange with Rosas Jr.

Subsequently, medical personnel immediately rushed into the Octagon, and Barcelos was taken out on a stretcher before being transported to a nearby trauma center.

There was no shortage of concern in the aftermath, particularly because the collapse happened so suddenly. Barcelos had been competing normally moments earlier, only for the fight to end in a way nobody inside the arena expected.

As of now, neither the UFC nor medical officials have publicly disclosed a specific cause for Barcelos losing consciousness. Whatever happens next in his fighting career can wait. For now, the 39-year-old is home and surrounded by the people closest to him.

Dana White Puts Barcelos’ Health Ahead of UFC Return

The UFC CEO addressed the incident publicly for the first time on Tuesday during the Contender Series press conference, and his message was simple. Simply put, he implied that Barcelos being healthy matters far more than when or whether he fights again.

When asked about the fighter, Dana White stated, “Thank God, he’s doing well. He’s up walking around, talking.” The UFC CEO also addressed questions about the medical response, saying Barcelos had cleared all of his pre-fight examinations and that significant medical resources were available at the event.

“All the pre-fight medicals were triple-checked, everything was good,” White said. “There were six doctors here that night, three ambulances, he was taken straight to the trauma center. Everything was done the right way and the outcome was good.”

There is also no indication from the UFC that a decision has been made about Barcelos’ future inside the Octagon. In fact, White dismissed the idea that a comeback should even be part of the conversation right now.

“Not even thinking about that,” White said when asked about Barcelos potentially returning to competition. “Who gives a sh*t? As long as the kid is okay.”