Barcelos collapse was brain swelling, not a KO

UFC 332 weighed in for its vacant women's flyweight title main event, but the day's hardest news came off a podcast: Glover Teixeira revealed that Raoni Barcelos' terrifying fifth-round collapse was brain swelling, not a knockout. Away from Salt Lake City, Anthony Smith's grim year got worse in a bare-knuckle ring, Court McGee readied his retirement walk, and ONE delivered two finishes in Bangkok.

Glover: Barcelos' collapse was brain swelling, not a knockout

Glover Teixeira, who cornered Raoni Barcelos and accompanied him to the hospital, said on his Overdogs podcast that Barcelos' fifth-round collapse against Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC Vegas 121 was not a knockout but a traumatic brain injury — swelling that caused his body to shut down as a defense mechanism. Barcelos, 39, was ahead on all three scorecards with no clear inciting blow when he went unconscious, was stretchered out and spent three nights in the hospital before his Tuesday discharge. Teixeira also criticized referee Herb Dean for a late stoppage and openly wondered whether Dean should retire. Barcelos needs further testing before any decision on his fighting future.

Why it matters: A sobering reminder of MMA's medical stakes, and with a former champion again publicly questioning Herb Dean's stoppages, fresh scrutiny falls on one of the sport's most experienced referees.

Ribovics misses weight as UFC 332 faceoffs boil over

On the eve of UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, Esteban Ribovics was the card's lone miss, tipping the scale a pound over for his lightweight bout with 40-year-old King Green. The ceremonial weigh-ins turned heated when Wang Cong, in her trademark Joker makeup, taunted Natalia Silva ahead of their vacant women's flyweight title main event, forcing security in; co-main men Deiveson Figueiredo and Payton Talbott also had to be separated by Dana White. Silva rides a 14-fight win streak into a bout that crowns only the fourth champion in the division's history.

Why it matters: The flyweight belt has sat vacant since Valentina Shevchenko's injury withdrawal, and Saturday's winner inherits a division split between young risers and aging ex-champions.

Anthony Smith stopped in bare-knuckle return after felony arrest

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith was beaten up and stopped in the second round by former PFL fighter Jordan Heiderman at Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Bareknuckle event in Santo Domingo on Friday. It was Smith's first bout since a July arrest on domestic-violence and related charges, which he denies. A betting favorite, Smith was bullied on the canvas and cut up before the referee waved it off — his fourth loss in five fights. Gamebred brass defended the booking by citing due process while the case is pending.

Why it matters: A once-elite 205er now trading on name value in bare-knuckle MMA, fighting under a legal cloud that promoters chose to work around rather than wait out.

Court McGee set to close a 16-year UFC run at home

Utah's Court McGee, the TUF 11 winner, makes his final walk in the UFC 332 opener against Eric Nolan in Salt Lake City, retiring at 41 after a 25-fight, 16-year UFC run. A recovering heroin addict who was clinically dead for minutes after a 2005 overdose, McGee built a fan following on his candor about sobriety and now turns fully to coaching and his nonprofit, The McGee Project. He finishes with Octagon wins over a young Robert Whittaker and Tim Means.

Why it matters: One of the sport's genuine good-news stories bows out on his own terms — a reminder that longevity in the UFC is as much about what fighters build outside the cage as inside it.

Eersel retains ONE Muay Thai title fighting on a broken arm

Two-sport ONE champion Regian Eersel defended his lightweight Muay Thai title at The Inner Circle 33 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, stopping English challenger George Jarvis with a fourth-round left hook. Eersel was dropped in the opening round and broke his right arm in the second, then fought one-handed, targeting Jarvis' badly damaged right eye until the finish at 1:39 of round four.

Why it matters: A gutsy, signature-moment defense from one of ONE's most reliable champions, extending his grip on the lightweight Muay Thai crown.

Cesar hands unbeaten Perreira his first loss at ONE Fight Night 48

At ONE Fight Night 48 in Bangkok, 22-year-old Brazilian Antonio Cesar battered previously unbeaten Hawaiian flyweight Joshua Perreira to a first-round TKO, the fight waved off between rounds when Perreira told his corner his eye was too damaged to continue. The win pushed Cesar to 15-2 and a 10-fight streak. In submission grappling, Ruan Alvarenga edged Shoya Ishiguro by split decision after the pair traded heel-hook catches.

Why it matters: ONE's flyweight MMA division loses one of its last perfect records and gains a fast-rising finisher in Cesar.

White defends Hokit title shot, says Volkov's time will come

Speaking at UFC 332, Dana White defended handing Josh Hokit (4-0 in the UFC) a shot at heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden, rather than a rematch for Alex Pereira, arguing the controversial Gane-Pereira finish didn't demand one and that the UFC makes fights on merit. White also called No. 4 contender Alexander Volkov — whom he once admitted was robbed against Gane — stuck in 'no man's land,' but insisted Volkov will get his shot; Volkov meets Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333.

Why it matters: With Tom Aspinall's vacated belt still reshaping the division, the UFC is betting on marketability over the queue — leaving established contenders like Volkov and Pereira waiting.

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