UFC bantamweight fighter Raoni Barcelos has issued his first statement since a scary TKO loss to Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC Vegas 121.
In the fifth round of his UFC Vegas 121 main event fight with Rosas, a back-and-forth war that won both men a $100,000 bonus for Fight of the Night, Barcelos appeared to suffer a medical emergency, which led to the fight being stopped in shocking fashion.
While we still do not know exactly what happened to Barcelos, the good news is that he appears to be OK, which is good news because this was one of the most terrifying fight-ending sequences we have ever seen in MMA.
Raoni Barcelos Issues Statement After UFC Vegas 121 Loss
Taking to social media, Barcelos issued his first statement since his scary TKO loss to Rosas at UFC Vegas 121.
“Hey guys, I want to let you all know that I’m doing great and as soon as I can I will send you all a video! Thank you so much for everyone’s love and prayers! I promised a great fight and I fulfilled what I promised. Thank you God and everyone who fought together with me inside and out of that cage,” Barcelos wrote on Instagram in reply to a post on the UFC Brasil IG post providing a health update on the bantamweight star.
What’s Next for Raoni Barcelos After UFC Vegas 121?
First and foremost, the good news is that Barcelos appears to be fine after what happened at UFC Vegas 121, so fans can breathe easy knowing that he is in good spirits after such a terrifying stoppage loss.
It is really unfortunate that Barcelos lost the fight the way that he did, because he was up 3-1 on all three judges’ scorecards heading into the fifth and final round of the fight with Rosas.
While we do not know how the rest of the fifth round would have played out, we do know that Barcelos had the lead, so had he managed to survive until the final bell, he likely would have won a decision on the scorecards, barring a 10-8 fifth round for Rosas, which would have led to the fight being scored a majority draw, as one judge had the fourth round scored 10-8 for Barcelos.
Given the seriousness of the situation, one can imagine that Barcelos won’t be returning to the Octagon anytime soon, as doctors need to perform tests before he can get clearance to fight inside the Octagon again.
The hard truth is that it is possible that Barcelos might not fight again, although the hope is that he can get medically cleared and continue his MMA career, as he is one of the best bantamweight fighters in the world despite being 39 years of age.
When Barcelos watches back the fight with Rosas, he will see what an incredible performance he put on and what an amazing fight both men put on for the fans.
But for now, the most important thing is focusing on his health and making sure he gets fully healthy. Thankfully, it appears that’s the case.
Raoni Barcelos Issues Statement After Scary UFC Vegas 121 Loss