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A former UFC fighter surprisingly passed away at the age of only 38. Elsewhere, Mike Perry issued a statement after being caught hurling expletives on body cam during his arrest.
Sportskeeda MMA brings you today's top combat sports news updates. Read on to find out more!
Guilherme Vasconcelos passes away
Former UFC and Bellator fighter Guilherme 'Bomba' Vasconcelos passed away at 38. Hailing from Minas Gerais, Brazil, Vasconcelos competed in his sole UFC fight after earning the spotlight in The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, Season 3.
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He lost a unanimous decision to Luke Zachrich in the outing. After a brief regional stint, he signed with Bellator. His last MMA fight was in 2019 against Derek Anderson, which he lost via unanimous decision.
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His uncle first revealed the news on Facebook. His mother also mourned Vasconcelos' death with a heartfelt post on the platform.
"Eternal longing for my beloved son."
Vasconcelos briefly dated Grammy-nominated musician Demi Lovato in 2016-2017.
Mike Perry apologizes for homophobic slur
Mike Perry was recently caught calling police officers homophobic slurs while being arrested for an alleged DUI. In body cam footage obtained by TMZ Sports, Perry was seen getting handcuffed around 1 AM on Saturday early morning in Florida after getting pulled over for speeding.
The police officers questioned Perry if he was intoxicated, to which the MMA fighter said no. However, he reportedly failed to keep his balance and his eyes were visibly red. After refusing to undergo field sobriety tests, Perry was promptly arrested.
While speaking to his wife Latory, the ex-UFC star referred to the cops arresting him as "f***ots."
Take a look at the clip below:
Later on, 'Platinum' took to X to apologize for his actions:
"I am writing this to express my deepest apologies for the inappropriate and disrespectful language I used towards members of the Clermont police department. I understand that my words were hurtful and offensive, and I sincerely regret my actions."
Read his full statement below:
Former UFC fighter questions Francis Ngannou's PPV draw
UFC veteran Matt Brown doubts Francis Ngannou can draw enough eyeballs to justify the $49.99 pay-per-view rate of the PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants card.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown said:
"He’s not that big of a star. We watched him fight Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury because of him fighting those guys. He’s not a Conor McGregor where we’re just going to watch him no matter who he fights." [H/t MMA Fighting]
Brown added that other than Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Randy Couture, and Chuck Liddell are among the fighters who can pull mainstream viewership. Ngannou, in his opinion, has yet to reach that level.
"I love Francis Ngannou, all due respect, he ain’t crossed the bridge. I can’t go down to the bar right now, and talk to someone about Francis Ngannou, and they know who he is."
The former UFC heavyweight champion is set to headline the PFL Super Fights event against Renan Ferreira in his first MMA fight in three years. In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg is scheduled to face Larissa Pacheco.
