Overview

• Event officials cited concussions with imaging abnormalities for Vitor Belfort’s withdrawal, quoting neurosurgeon Dr. Jorge Pagura with no return timetable.
• Weigh-ins showed Wanderlei Silva at 206.7 pounds versus Acelino “Popo” Freitas at 162.7, and bout terms permit Silva to be up to 216 pounds after a second-day check.
• The main event is an eight-round boxing exhibition in São Paulo with judges scoring the fight despite the large size disparity.
• Silva’s coach Andre Dida labeled Belfort’s exit “dubious” and said he “chickened out,” while Silva publicly needled his longtime rival over confidence.
• Silva vowed to score a knockout and referenced a win-and-KO bonus of nearly R$500,000, as Freitas—an ex-WBO champion with a 41-2 record—accepted the matchup on short notice.