Wanderlei Silva was suspended for 180 days for his role in the Spaten Fight Night 2 brawl last weekend in Brazil. “The Axe Murderer” got disqualified during his boxing match against Popo Freitas, which led to both corners storming the ring and throwing hands, with Silva getting knocked unconscious (watch the replay here).
MMA Fighting reported the suspension on Tuesday.
In addition, Brazilian National Boxing Council (CNB) also handed down suspensions to Freitas (180 days), coach Andre Dida (365 days), and cornermen
Luis Claudio Freitas and Iago Gutierrez Freitas (180 days). Rafael Freitas, Thor Silva, and Fabricio Werdum were not licensed for the event and therefore escaped CNB sanctions.
Rafael is responsible for icing “The Axe Murderer.”
“When I realized it, that widespread confusion began, it was started by the Wanderlei team, his son, coach Andre Dida, and Werdum,” Freitas told Globo. “When I saw them all assaulting my father and my brothers, I went into self defense. In the heat of that moment, I just thought about defending myself and defending my family. I want to apologize to Wanderlei and his whole family for everything he’s done for his sport as well. And to say it wasn’t my intention.”
The suspensions cover any participation in boxing and may not extend to the mixed martial arts (MMA) commissions sanctioning cage fighting events in Brazil; however, regulatory bodies typically practice reciprocity when it comes to suspended fighters, which may affect coach Dida more than anyone else.
Silva, 49, retired from MMA back in summer 2022.
