UFC bantamweight contender Raoni Barcelos has addressed fans after his defeat by Raul Rosas Jr at the Meta Apex on Saturday night.
In his first UFC main event Barcelos took on rising contender Raul Rosas Jr, with the pair going to earn Fight of the Night honours for a gruelling battle of attrition.
In the fifth and final round, and with Barcelos leading on all three of the judges' scorecards, the Brazilian suddenly fell unconscious during a grappling exchange.
The referee swiftly ended the fight and Barcelos received medical attention before being rushed to hospital.
Reports following Saturday's fight revealed that the 39-year-old had subsequently undergone a CT Scan and was "stable, alert and responsive".
In his first public statement statement since being hospitalised Barcelos addressed his fans and thanked them for their support.
"Speak up, people! Passing here to reassure you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love, for the messages and for every prayer." Barcelos wrote on Instagram.
"We were putting up a great fight. I was feeling great winning round by round, even in fifth. Unfortunately I just fainted It was a scare for all of us, but I'm being watched closely, in observation, and once I have more information I'll share with you, but I can say I'm doing great.
"The will of God is greater than our will I never imagined receiving so much support. Thank you all for being with me right now. You can be sure that I have fought with everything I had and I will keep fighting to honor my family's name in pursuit of my dream. I hope that my walk will also inspire others to keep going, with grit, in pursuit of a better life.
"Thank you UFC for all the support, my family, my team and every single person who's cheering and praying for me. I love you guys! Let's go through it together. And like a fine wine, I’ll come back even better."
After sharing the video Barcelos received support from a number of UFC stars in the comments including Rosas Jr, who called his former opponent a "Warrior".
