MMA fighter Alexandre Pereira da Silva is in critical condition at a Brazilian hospital a week after passing out while attempting to cut weight ahead of his debut during Shooto Brazil 80.
Brazilian MMA Athlete Commission COO Cristiano Sampaio confirmed the news Saturday to Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.
“We heard about the incident on the day of the weigh-in, told by the leader of the team and the promoter of the event,” Sampaio said. “We went to the hospital to understand the case. The doctors still had no diagnosis of the exact cause. The athlete remains in critical condition in the hospital. We’re following the case closely.”
Cruz also translated comments Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras made to Spanish outlet Combate about the situation.
“According to the hospital doctors, his dehydration is not what caught their attention,” he said. “The report indicated ‘heat stroke,’ which is like his body got overheated, which is something rare, but happened.”
Sampaio noted Da Silva had yet to become officially eligible to compete since the athletic commission didn’t receive his final physical exam before learning of the hospitalization.
Pederneiras added Da Silva didn’t face a major weight cut ahead of his first professional fight. No further information was provided.
Da Silva was scheduled to take on Marcos Silva during Sunday’s event in Rio de Janeiro.
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