UFC 315 in Montreal is shaping up to be a successful pay-per-view card with explosive finishes and entertaining wars kicking off the early prelims. While the prelims are filled with intrigue, the main event in particular has fans waiting to see if the result changes the landscape of the UFC as we know it. In the final early prelim, however, the card took a frightening turn.
Brazilian middleweight Bruno Silva was stretchered out of the Octagon following a brutal first-round knockout by Canadian fighter Marc-Andre Barriault. The moment had the entire crowd waiting with bated breath to see if Silva would recover from the devastating finish.
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The fight lasted just under one minute and 30 seconds and ended with Silva unconscious on the canvas after absorbing a series of crushing elbows against the fence. Medical personnel rushed to attend to Silva, who remained motionless before regaining consciousness. He was then put on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The finish was as violent as it was swift. Barriault, fighting in front of his home crowd, capitalized on a clinch exchange, landing two devastating elbows that sent Silva crashing face-first to the mat.
The brutality of the finish even made Barriault himself squeamish:
Replays showed one of the strikes left a visible dent in Silva’s skull, displaying the sheer force of the impact. Referee intervention came too late to prevent follow-up punches, but the damage was already done.
Once a rising star in the UFC, known for a barnburner with a pre-championship Alex Pereira, the 35-year-old has now lost his last five fights in a row. The loss comes at an even worse time for Silva personally, as he has recently lost his father, per commentator Jon Anik.
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The UFC’s decision to keep him on the roster despite his slump is a questionable move by the promotion, but a finish this devastating may spell the end of his time on the roster.
Related: UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski Suffers Medical Scare During Fight ‘I could not see’
