UFC 308 star announces break from fighting after he suffered 'strong anxiety crisis' in the cage during loss

10/29/2024 11:01 AM

After suffering his fourth straight defeat on Saturday night, Bruno Silva is planning to take some time away from the fight game.

The Brazilian middleweight slumped to a decision loss against Ismail Naurdiev at UFC 308, which marked his sixth loss under the UFC banner, and fourth in a row. There were points where he showed shades of his best, but was ultimately outclassed by Naurdiev.

Now, he admits that his future in the promotion may be up in the air. And even if they do opt to give him one more shot, he claims he will be taking time away from the sport in order to adjust how he prepares for competition.

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Bruno Silva opens up about mental health struggles heading into UFC 308

In the aftermath of his defeat at UFC 308, Bruno Silva posted a lengthy video to social media where he explained the struggles he has been having with mental health going into fights. He noted that he began to feel this way around four years ago, just after losing to Alex Pereira.

"I'm a man that always dedicates hard to his professional and personal life," Silva said in Portuguese [translation by MMAFighting]. "I'm very happy in my personal life and fulfilled as a man, but there's been a few years that I have dealt with strong anxiety crisis inside the octagon.

“Those who don't know, you feel like drowning. You're tired and powerless, and all you want is not to be in that octagon. When the first round ended, the crisis came, and I was very tired.

“It felt like my heart would come out of my mouth, and I feel bad. I lost my focus entirely. In my mind, I just want to get out of there, you know?"

Bruno Silva details how he attempted to get help pre-fight

The caption of his post read: “It’s your right to have an opinion, about the team, diet, everything, but this problem I’ll have to have the strength to overcome and I’m not talking about the armored Bruno and yes the man Bruno. I’ll only be back when I’m healed in the name of Jesus.”

In the video he went into more detail, noting that he had seeked help to deal with his psychological issues going into the fight. And while he felt good in the build-up thanks to a number of new strategies, he began to have the same problem midway through.

"I went to a psychiatrist and started taking medication, did heart exams and there was nothing," Silva said. "And now, I was doing great.

“I did all the work, did yoga to calm down and everything, but there are fights that are hard. Some fights are harder than those in the octagon. Fights with our body, our mind, our heart."

Bruno Silva plans to take a break from fighting after UFC 308 defeat

Now, with his career hanging in the balance, he plans to take some time away from the sport in order to better prepare himself for future fights. It doesn’t appear that he is retiring, but he plans to tell the UFC that he won’t be competing any time soon, should they agree to keep him on the roster.

"I have a life ahead of me and won't fight again like this," Silva continued. "I don't know how my situation will be in the UFC, if I'm going to be released or not. In case I'm not, I'll ask for a break. I need some time. I need to check on my body, I need time for myself.

“I had 10 fights in three years, I'm one of the most active fighters in the UFC, so I need to take care of myself. To those who like me, and those who are embarrassed, ask for help. Don't be embarrassed. People will criticize no matter what, so get help.

“This is my message to you that is going through problems. Ask for help, talk about it. Thank God I don't have depression, but this is affecting my career, my work, and I'll only fight again, you'll only see me in the octagon again, when I'm healed, when I'm well.

“Fighting like this is too much, it makes me feel bad as a man. I'm devastated to go back home like this. But this is part of life, right? I've had a victorious career, and now I'm going through a delicate moment. I think I need patience and faith to move forward because life isn't only about fighting.

“I have a life as a person, I'm a family man and I need to be well to go back home and put food on the table for my family and people I love. You may think all you want, that I need to change teams and everything, it's your right.

“The work was done, but I am the problem. I can go anywhere in the world, the problem is inside me, so I need to get help now. It's God, myself and a professional to help me now."

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