Former UFC fighter Mateus Mendonca fractured his penis during a grappling session in Brazil, underwent emergency surgery, and is now raffling personal items on social media to support his family while sidelined from training for two months.
Mateus Mendonca, a former UFC fighter, recently faced an unexpected challenge. He had to undergo emergency surgery in Sao Paulo after fracturing his penis during a grappling session in Maranhao, Brazil. Yikes! He’ll be off the mats for two months.
At just 25, Mendonca is now hustling to make ends meet. He’s promoting raffles on social media, giving away his UFC shirt and gloves—anything to keep the cash flowing while he can’t teach martial arts.
“I was training with [a teammate], and he landed his knee on my penis,” Mendonca shared with MMA Fighting. “Absurd pain hit me, so I rushed to the bathroom.” The next day in Sao Paulo, things looked… off. His girlfriend insisted on a hospital visit. An ultrasound later, doctors were sending him straight for emergency surgery.
Mendonca’s no stranger to challenges, though. As a teammate of former UFC lightweight champ Charles Oliveira at Chute Boxe Diego Lima team, “Bocao” had a tough run in the octagon. Winless in three appearances between 2023 and 2024 at bantamweight and flyweight, he was released from his contract. But hey, he bounced back! A 20-second kneebar victory over Luan Matheus in Rio de Janeiro brought his MMA record to 11-3.
“The doctor told me to avoid training and teaching for two months,” Mendonca explained. “I have to stay at home and do nothing.” Not easy when you’ve got a little daughter and moved your family to Sao Paulo to train. So, the raffle it is!