UFC fighter Bruno Silva has opened up about his mental health following his loss at UFC 308 last weekend.
Over the course of the last few years, Bruno Silva has been on a poor run of form. He has lost four straight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and beyond that, he’s lost six of his last seven.
This past weekend at UFC 308, he was beaten by Ismail Naurdiev in a unanimous decision loss. Throughout the course of the bout, many fans, pundits and even the commentators noticed that Silva just didn’t seem like himself in there.
Now, Bruno Silva himself has released a really eye-opening statement via Instagram.
Bruno Silva opens up on mental health issues
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…When the first round ended [at UFC 308], 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.”
“I have a life ahead of me and won’t fight again like this. I’ll ask for a break. I need some time. I need to check on my body, I need time for myself…To those who like me, and those who are embarrassed, ask for help. Don’t be embarrassed…Ask for help, talk about it…I’ll only fight again, you’ll only see me in the octagon again, when I’m healed.”
Quotes via Sportskeeda
In a society where mental health has never been more important, it’s really incredible to see a fighter like Bruno Silva come out with this level of honesty. We commend him for doing so, and we hope that he gets all the help he needs during his time away.
