Dana White looking serious during an interview. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube
Dana White expressed concern about a possible return of Raoni Barcelos to the Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon. The Brazilian faced Raul Rosas Jr. in the main event of UFC Vegas 121 and suffered a sudden illness in the fifth round. After the episode, the veteran needed to remain hospitalized for three days.
In a press conference, the UFC president stated that, at this time, he is not considering a possible return of Raoni Barcelos to competition. According to White, the priority is for the Brazilian to be well before any discussion about a new fight.
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"I'm not even thinking about that (Raoni's return), as long as he's doing well," said Dana White.
Raul Rosas Jr. reveals his despair after Raoni Barcelos' sudden illness.
Raoni Barcelos lost to Raul Rosas Jr. in the UFC. Photo: Getty Images/Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Raul Rosas Jr. revealed that, for a few moments, he feared that Raoni Barcelos had died. The Mexican was relieved to realize that the Brazilian was breathing, but remained worried about the situation and said a prayer, hoping that the veteran would regain consciousness and be able to return to his family.
“For a second, I didn’t know if he had died, to be honest. Then I saw him breathing, so I thought, ‘OK, he didn’t die.’ That made me a little more relieved, but I was still sitting there praying. I said a quick prayer and hoped that he would wake up and come back to his family,” said Raul Rosas Jr.
Raoni Barcelos was winning the fight at UFC Vegas 121.
Although Raul Rosas Jr. won the fight , Raoni Barcelos had been getting the upper hand until the incident in the fifth round. The duel was quite action-packed, with takedowns and hard blows from both sides.
Before the interruption, the official scorecards from the referees showed an advantage for the Brazilian, with three scores of 39-37 in favor of Barcelos.
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