Bruno Silva lost “30 percent” vision from Chris Weidman’s eye poke at UFC Atlantic City, addresses foul after return to Brazil

The middleweight fight between Chris Weidman and Bruno Silva ended in a controversial manner. In the third round, Weidman used strikes to defeat his opponent from Brazil, but not before he had accidentally poked Silva in the eye. The bout took place at the UFC Atlantic City event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, on March 30, 2024, and was deemed a third-round TKO victory for ‘The All-American.’

Despite this, video replays revealed that the American MMA veteran had repeatedly poked ‘Blindado’ in the eye, which may have played a role in the final TKO. As a result, the ruling was reversed to a technical decision (unanimous) win for Weidman.

Silva, who is currently in Curitiba, Brazil, has spoken about the match and the impact the eye pokes have had on his health.

During a recent episode of the Trocacao Franca podcast by MMA Fighting, Silva referenced the replays and claimed that Weidman had poked both of his eyes. The 34-year-old also mentioned that he had seen an opthalmologist in Brazil and received an eye examination.

He stated that according to the exam’s findings, he has experienced a temporary loss of 30 percent vision in one eye.

The experienced fighter made it clear that the doctor’s belief is that ‘Blindado’ could recover his previous level of vision before the Chris Weidman eye pokes.

The BJJ black belt quoted [*Quotes sourced from MMA Fighting]:

“The exam showed I lost 30 percent of my vision in one of the eyes. .. But the doctor doesn’t think it’s permanent, he thinks it will come back fast. I’ll have to go back there next week for another test.”

Additionally, Bruno Silva expressed his intention to challenge the technical decision loss to Chris Weidman, stating that he will seek resolution from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, which was responsible for overseeing the event in Atlantic City.

Please listen to the podcast episode below:

Contending Fighters Bruno Silva and Chris Weidman Share Differing Views on UFC Atlantic City Bout

During the podcast episode, Bruno Silva expressed strong criticism towards referee Gary Copeland, who was in charge of officiating their fight. Silva stated that the referee’s actions were unacceptable, as he failed to reprimand Weidman for the multiple eye pokes he delivered during the match.

Additionally, ‘Blindado’ stressed his intention to appeal the decision of the fight and have it changed to an NC (No Contest). He believes this is the minimum action that can be taken to rectify the injustice he has experienced.

Bruno Silva emphasized that a No Contest ruling would be fair. He also believes that Chris Weidman may not be open to a rematch. Nevertheless, as evidenced by his Instagram post below, Silva is eager to settle their dispute in the octagon.

It is uncertain at this time whether the UFC will schedule a rematch immediately. However, ‘Blindado’ appears to be receptive to any suggestions from the UFC.

During his appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Chris Weidman maintained his innocence and stated that the eye pokes were accidental. He emphasized that he would never engage in cheating. Additionally, fans have been intrigued by an image circulating online showing a potential eye injury sustained by the former UFC middleweight champion during the fight.