According to the manager of Alex Oliveira, the UFC veteran “is OK” after being hit by shrapnel from a grenade explosion that took place near his home in Tres Rios, close to Rio de Janiero.
The Brazilian reportedly said that while he was in a gas station, he witnessed some family members in an altercation, according to Globo, a Brazilian news website.
Oliveira told Globo, “The guys were with a machete, a knife, a grenade, and they threw the grenade at me. Fragments flew on my leg and my foot.”
According to the report Cowboy went to a local hospital to have the shrapnel removed, and the incident was then reported to the local police.
What a wild month Cowboy Oliveira has had. Not too far from the beating he took from Gunnar Nelson at UFC 231 in Toronto, he then is almost KILLED by a grenade in his hometown in Brazil. A GRENADE! And what’s even worse is that the leg and foot injuries caused by the shrapnel won’t be as bad as the giant head wound caused by Nelson earlier this month.
I know that Brazil is where Cowboy calls home but man you’ve gotta think that after something like this happens, it’s time to possibly permanently move to the States. Who knows, this is very likely not the first time that the UFC welterweight has had to deal with a situation like this.
We often forget about the lives of fighters outside of MMA and Boxing and this is a blatant reminder that some people face danger in and outside of the ring or cage and that we should admire the bravery of the men and women who put their bodies on the line.
Wishing all the best to Alex Oliveira. Hoping to see him get out of Brazil soon as well as returning to the octagon whenever he feels ready to do so.
Here’s to a better 2019 for the entire sports community!
