UFC Sao Paulo was a success for the promotion as the crowd came in big numbers and supported the Brazilian fighters. However, not everything went as smoothly as expected. The event lost three scheduled bouts for various reasons. A featherweight bout between Lucas Alexander and David Onama was canceled due to an injury.
Additionally, Ismael Bonfim significantly missed weight, leading to the cancellation of his bout against Vince Pichel. However, the reason for the cancellation of the Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan bout remains undisclosed.
Armen Petrosyan gets “poisoned” at UFC Sao Paulo
The highly anticipated middleweight showdown between Armen Petrosyan and Rodolfo Vieira at UFC Sao Paulo left fans disappointed. Shortly before the event’s commencement, officials announced Petrosyan’s withdrawal due to illness.
Initially, backstage rumors suggested a sudden illness, but Petrosyan’s team later asserted that poisoning was the cause for his withdrawal. Initially dismissed as a virus, they later confirmed that serious poisoning in Brazil had led to a significant drop in his blood sugar levels.
Armen Petrosyan was ‘poisoned’ in Brazil and this led to his fight with Rodolfo Vieira being cancelled 😳#UFCSP pic.twitter.com/1pkK7Q9ztp
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) November 5, 2023
Petrosyan’s management used social media to clarify the cancellation, and their poisoning claim has stirred speculation and concern within the MMA community. The UFC places a high priority on fighter safety and takes allegations of misconduct seriously.
Despite the cancellation, there is optimism as the UFC is prepared to reschedule the bout for a later date. With only a few events remaining in 2024, it remains to be seen whether fans will have the opportunity to watch Petrosyan compete before the year’s end.
UFC looking for more Brazil events after Sao Paulo success
The UFC has Brazilian MMA fans eagerly anticipating two major events in the country in 2024. The plans were unveiled by David Shaw, UFC’s Senior Vice President of International Operations and Content, during the post-fight press conference. Dana White was notably absent from the event, and Shaw represented him.
The commitment to host two UFC events presents an exciting opportunity for Brazilian fighters to compete in front of their home crowd. The cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have piqued the interest of the UFC, with the success of the recently concluded UFC Sao Paulo being the primary reason for the promotion’s decision to schedule more events in Brazil.
🚨| UFC Exec Dave Shaw says that the UFC are looking to hold two big events in Brazil next year after the success of many Brazilians on #DWCS.
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) November 5, 2023
He named Rio and Sao Paulo as potential locations but nothing is set just yet.#UFCSP #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/dnMbzPaVgu
UFC fans in Brazil are no strangers to high-stakes matches. The first PPV of 2023 was held in Rio de Janeiro. It was UFC 283 headlined by Glover Teixeira vs Jamahal Hill with Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo concluding their flyweight tetralogy in the co-main event.
There is a big chance that the next UFC Sao Paulo might be a PPV event. The UFC has top Brazilian contenders in almost all the divisions, the most elite among those is Charles Oliveira who was present at UFC Sao Paulo much to the crowd’s delight.
With the news of food poisoning common in Brazil, should the UFC adopt stringent measures or leave Brazil altogether? Do comment below!
