PELOTAS, BR. (THECOUNT) — MMA fighter Maiquel Falcao has died after an alleged stabbing in his hometown of Pelotas, Brazil. He was 40.
According to reports, the former Bellator title challenger was standing outside of a bar when he was attacked and stabbed multiple times.
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It’s unclear if there is one or multiple suspects in the attack.
Falcao was rushed to a local hospital but did not recover from his stab wounds, being pronounced dead just hours later, according to MMAnews.
Falcao began his professional MMA career back in 2004, making a name for himself in various Brazilian regional promotions. He would eventually sign with the UFC for a fight against Gerald Harris at UFC 123, earning a unanimous decision victory.
Falcao’s most notable performances came in Bellator, where he won the middleweight tournament championship over Andreas Spang. He would get a title shot against then-champion Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 88, losing via second-round knockout.
The UFC had planned to bring Falcao back to its promotion for multiple fights before he was let go for assaulting a female. He spent eight months in jail before serving the rest of his sentence under house arrest.
After beginning his career with an astounding 31-5 record, Falcao’s end to his MMA career was less than ideal. He lost his final five fights overseas, including in October against Nemanja Uveric at Serbian Battle Championship 36.
The investigation into Falcao’s death is ongoing and we’ll bring you the latest here at MMANews.
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