Ganesh Kendale
MMA fighter Daiane Silva remains in hospital a month after a weight cut before a Bellator event was followed by her being put in an induced coma.
Brazilian Silva was scheduled to fight at a Bellator Champion Series in London on September 14 but was removed from the event the day before without an initial explanation.
The Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission oversaw the event and its director Mike Mazzulli told BBC Sport that Silva was assessed by a doctor on the morning of the weigh-in.
“She was the last [scheduled] fighter to the scale, though she never weighed in,” Mazzulli said.
“I sent a doctor up and about half an hour later [the doctor] said she was being sent to the hospital.”
After arriving at the hospital, Silva was placed in an induced coma. Though the 29-year-old is no longer in a coma, she remains in hospital.
Mazzulli was informed of a potential issue at 10:50 BST on the Friday morning – 10 minutes before the window to weigh in was due to close.
Silva had stepped in to fight Eman Almudhaf on a few weeks’ notice and was due to compete at featherweight (145lb), a weight she had never competed at as a professional. She previously fought as a lightweight.
Her manager Alex Davis told MMA Fighting, external she “suffered an accident due to dehydration”.
Mazzulli described the incident as “tragic” and said the commission is “looking into” what happened.
Dealing with weight cutting has been a priority in MMA in recent years, with organisations such as the UFC and the athletic commissions across America enacting strict measures.
News of Silva’s health issues were revealed when Cris Cyborg’s promotional outfit posted the news in a now-deleted post on social media and the PFL fighter then spoke about it after her win over Larissa Pacheco.
“Really sad,” Cyborg said of Silva. “I know she’s in [a] bad situation but we pray for her and support her so she can come back home soon.”
Bellator merged with rival American MMA promotion the PFL last year and the PFL launched its ‘Bellator Champion Series’ events as a result.
London was the fifth instalment of the fight night and was headlined by Belfast fighter Leah McCourt.
BBC Sport has asked PFL and Bellator officials for comment.
