Injuries have often plagued the world of mixed martial arts. No matter the hype around the bouts, the fighters always have the risk of getting injured and then pulling out of the fights. Take the slated fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler at UFC 303, for example. Only if ‘The Notorious’ hadn’t broken his pinky toe, we could have enjoyed the war between TUF 31 coaches. But not everyone who gets injured while training gets out with just a broken pinky toe. Some fighters have even faced dangerous complications. And Saimon Oliveira is one such fighter. 

Ahead of his slated matchup against Kyung Ho Kang back in 2022, the Brazilian suffered an unimaginable injury during training. And that pushed him out of the clash, leading to its cancellation. But what exactly happened to Oliveira? Let’s take a look!

Which injury did Saimon Oliveira suffer?

In a conversation with Sherdog.com, Oliveira revealed that the accident happened just over a month prior to his slated bout against Ho Kang. He said, “I took a spinning kick to the stomach. It caused a serious injury that forced me to drop out. I had to undergo emergency surgery for an intestinal rupture. It was a shock to the system since my career had been going so well up to that point. Had I not arrived at the hospital fast enough, I could have possibly died.” 

A gastrointestinal perforation caused by trauma is a condition where people feel immense pain and have trouble digesting. Even the slightest touch could make people scream in agony. On top of that, there are risks of blockage and the gastrointestinal tract sticking to other nearby parts of the body. Needless to say, it was a pretty bad experience for the 33-year-old Brazilian bantamweight contender. He was hospitalized for about 11 days, and rehabilitation took 6 months more. Imagine an athlete who used to have regular intensive training sessions having to stay still for 6 months, or risk another rupture of his intestine. Not only did the injury give him anxiety, but it also troubled Oliveira with a newfound fear. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to compete at the same level that he once did. 

Oliveira continued, “I’d always been an aggressive fighter who always moved forward due to my muay thai background. I love to bang it out. The abdominal injury made me hold back. When I returned to training, I noticed that I wasn’t as aggressive. I was stuck. I was leery of certain strikes. The fear of being reinjured led to anxiety episodes.”

Nevertheless, the bantamweight prospect bounced back in January 2023 at UFC 283. He was pitted against Daniel Marcos. However, Oliveira wasn’t able to give it his all, and a knee to the body in the second round concluded the bout with Oliveira’s defeat by KO. Although he revealed that he was weakened during that time, the Brazilian knew that it was nothing but an excuse. Now, after 2 years, he seemed all set to get back to his former glory. But what about his injury? How dangerous could it have been for Oliveira? 

How dangerous is an intestinal rupture?

Well, an intestinal rupture can be life-threatening if an immediate response doesn’t reach the patient. The chances of recovery can improve if the diagnosis and treatment come early. Of course, the first step is to close the rupture surgically (nowadays, it happens through a less invasive laparoscopy), and then let the wound heal. Such a rupture also has the risk of peritonitis, or the inflammation of the peritoneum. It happens when the intestinal contents leak out and get trapped in the membrane that holds the gut together. And that further ups the pain response. Peritonitis is also a life-threatening condition if not treated promptly. 

Intestinal perforation is indeed one of the many reasons why every fighter should follow proper training ethics. One simply must not use excessive force without any protection during sparring. Thankfully, Saimon Oliveira received the treatment that he needed and got back on his feet. He took 2 years’ leave from the Octagon and worked on his mindset. He said, “During these two years, I trained extremely hard and did amazing work with my doctor and my psychologist. My mind is ironclad now.”

Now, Oliveira is set to land against David Martinez at UFC Mexico City on 29 March 2025. With a professional MMA record of 18-5, and a 2-fight losing streak, Oliveira desperately needs a win to reassert his stance in the MMA cage. Do you think Oliveira can get back to his former glory with a victory at UFC on ESPN 64, with a 2-year hiatus and an injury messing around his return? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.