UFC Veteran Tips His Hat to Medical Team After Raoni Barcelos’ Scary Collapse

 The 39-year-old veteran suddenly collapsed in the final round and was taken from the Meta Apex on a stretcher, leaving the MMA community stunned and sparking speculation about what had happened. Now, with Barcelos conscious and recovering, another UFC veteran has stepped forward to praise the medical team for its swift response.

Matt Brown Gives UFC Medical Team Its Due

For a few unsettling moments, the concern inside the Apex was no longer about who’d have their hands raised. Barcelos was rendered unconscious after Rosas Jr. took him down, Herb Dean waved off the fight, and Barcelos was soon being carried from the cage on a stretcher.

He was taken to a Las Vegas trauma center for further evaluation, where he was reported to be stable and responsive. His coach, Davi Ramos, later offered reassurance that Barcelos was conscious and communicating, while the fighter himself  thanked fans for their support and said he was doing well.

The frightening images naturally left plenty of questions in their wake. For former UFC welterweight Brown (26-19-0), one thing stood out amid the uncertainty, how quickly the UFC's medical personnel stepped in when things went wrong.

“When I first heard about it, I thought to myself… We heard a bunch of rumors, right? Like he had a heart attack or stroke, aneurysm, seizure, all these different things, right? You’d never know until you know.”

Matt Brown Acknowledges Medical Team's Prompt Response

“The immortal’s” point was not to speculate about what caused Barcelos to lose consciousness, but to acknowledge the people who had to respond before anyone had those answers.  In fact, the 45-year-old veteran specifically credited the medical infrastructure surrounding the promotion and the doctors who have been part of it for years.

“And the first thing I though was, ‘This thing is UFC’s worst nightmare.’ You got to give props to the UFC for their medical team. You know, the medicals they require before the fights and you know they’ve worked with the commissions for a long time,” he told MMA Fighting.

If anything, the incident was a sheer reminder of the less visible side of the otherwise flamboyant fight night. Brown then turned his attention to the promotion’s Medical Director, Jeff Davidson, whose responsibilities include pre-fight clearances and ringside assistance. 

“Doctor Davidson is a hell of a great doctor. These guys, they’ve been on top it,” Brown added, commending the medical staff’s efforts. “You got to give credit where credit is due. They haven’t had any serious life-changing injuries that I know of, no deaths and it’s been what, more than 30 years now.” 

Dustin Poirier Wants Rosas Jr. and Barcelos to Run It Back

Keeping aside the dramatic/frightening ending, there was plenty to like about the fight itself. Barcelos had pushed the 21-year-old. through four competitive rounds and was ahead on all three scorecards heading into the fifth.

Then came the takedown that changed everything. Rosas Jr. (13-1-0) put Barcelos on the canvas, and the referee quickly stopped the fight after the veteran lost consciousness.

With Barcelos (22-6-0) now saying he is doing well, former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier  believes the two could have another go at it, provided the Brazilian makes a full recovery.

“I think what they should do is, if Barcelos is healthy, if he's okay, everything's good, and you run it back,” Poirier said. “It was a great fight up until that point. The ending, you know, it sucks. You run it back.”

Poirier might have captured the appeal of seeing these two back in the Octagon. But whether the UFC books the rematch is a question for another day. For now, the bigger question is when Barcelos will be medically cleared to fight again and, more importantly, when the 39-year-old veteran feels ready to return.