If your Christmas was kind of crap, you’re not alone.
UFC welterweight and grappler Alex Oliveira, who was already recovering from 30+ stitches received in his UFC loss on December 8 to Gunnar Nelson, was injured by a grenade attack in his small hometown of Tres Rios, Brazil, on Christmas Eve.
The fighter reportedly was out on Monday evening throwing gas in his mother’s car as a favor when he happened across his aunt and nephew shouting and being held at gunpoint by an unidentified group of armed men. Olivera hopped out of the car to intervene.
He elaborated on the incident to Brazilian news outlet Globo:
“I saw my aunt in confusion. I told my aunt not to interfere. I just stopped to try to ease the [situation]…one guy already got a gun in my nephew’s face. Then began a push-push. The guys were with a machete, a knife, a grenade. And they threw the grenade at me.”
Fragments from the grenade lodged in Oliveira’s leg. He did what any Brazilian cowboy would do, aka drive himself to the hospital and wait for Santa by having metal shards surgically removed from his calf.
Fortunately the injuries were minor, especially given the churrascoria menu of weapons being brandished during the altercation, and Oliveira assures fans he’s already on the mend.
We’re wishing the fighter a much quieter New Year.
