The health risks of weight cutting have reared their ugly head again, this time impacting a Brazilian Mixed Martial Artist.
Fight fans are becoming all too familiar with the consequences of a hard weight cut, after popular UFC middleweight fighter Uriah Hall suffered a seizure and mild heart attack when unable to make the scales against Vitor Belfort.
Most recently, during Friday’s early morning weigh-ins, three fighters missed weight, and caused the cancellation of tonight’s co-main event in the process.
Now, in other MMA action, Brazil’s Alexandre Pereira da Silva is hospitalized in a Brazilian ICU, and listed in “critical condition”.
Brazil’s Combate reports: (Translated)
During the process of weight reduction, at dawn Friday to Saturday, the athlete went bad, suffered convulsions and was rushed to a hospital in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. A week later, Alexandre stays at the ICU (intensive care center) and despite considerable improvements in the heart and kidneys, he remains in critical condition and at risk for brain sequelae.
According to the executive director of the Brazilian Athletic Commission of MMA (CABMMA), Cristiano Sampaio, the fighter had undergone all the medical examinations required by the entity, responsible for the regulation of Shooto Brazil, and was approved by the commission doctor in all. Only one examination, the physical, was performed the day before the weigh-in and did not have its result delivered. There was no risk of complications from weight loss.
