Seven fighters, including UFC veterans Ednaldo Oliveira and Leonardo Guimaraes, have accused Francimar Barroso of fraudulently booking and canceling MMA events in Russia to pocket sponsor money without paying the fighters, while Barroso denies the allegations and attributes the controversy to jealousy and logistical issues.
Seven fighters have leveled serious accusations against UFC and PFL veteran Francimar Barroso. They claim he orchestrated MMA events in Russia, only to cancel them and pocket the sponsor money without paying the fighters. Among those accusing him are Ednaldo Oliveira and Leonardo Guimaraes, both former UFC fighters themselves.
Oliveira and Guimaraes allege Barroso lured them to Russia with promises of fights under his Bodão Fighting Championship banner. Yet, on three separate occasions in 2024, these events were abruptly canceled just days before they were set to occur. Not a single fighter received their contracted purse.
The allegations don’t stop there. Fighters Delmar Silva, Marcos Sullivan, Leonardo Fraga, and Alexsander Pereira echoed similar claims. Oliveira recounted how Barroso used their status as ex-UFC fighters to attract sponsors, only to cancel events at the last minute and vanish with the funds.
Initially, the fighters were housed in a decent apartment, but soon found themselves crammed into a small room at the back of Barroso’s gym. To add insult to injury, they barely had money for food. Promised daily payments of 1,000 rubles (about $10) were often delayed.
Oliveira described their living conditions as deplorable—infested with rats and cockroaches. With no money to return home, they felt trapped. The situation became so dire that they’ve banded together to file a lawsuit against Barroso.
Barroso has denied any wrongdoing. He insists the accusations are baseless and driven by jealousy from Oliveira, who he claims is trying to turn other fighters against him. Despite having faced Oliveira in the UFC back in 2013 and winning, Barroso maintains there was never any animosity between them.
Pereira also shared his experience of being approached by Barroso while training in Russia. Promised $4,000 for a fight, he ended up receiving only $800. Barroso supposedly stopped covering his food expenses when he learned Pereira planned to leave for Brazil.
Delmar Silva had been living in Portugal before reaching out to Barroso about joining his team in Russia. Silva claims he was promised his expenses would be covered until he fought but ended up footing the bill himself when things went south.
According to Silva, one event was called off because “the broadcast was cancelled,” forcing him to accept a much lower fight purse just to pay bills. He also alleged that Barroso encouraged steroid use among fighters—a claim Barroso denies.
Despite all this turmoil, Silva managed to escape Russia after realizing they were being exploited like slaves. He recalls telling others about his growing unease and eventually fleeing with his belongings once he secured a flight ticket.
Barroso argues that cancellations were due to factors beyond his control, including geopolitical tensions like the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He insists he paid all agreed fees for private classes taught by the fighters but claims they left without notice.
All fighters eventually left Russia; however, Guimaraes had to stay longer than most due to contractual obligations with Barroso’s promotion. After multiple cancellations and lost sponsorships, Guimaraes sought other opportunities elsewhere.
In response to these allegations, Barroso has decided to halt promoting events until he can manage everything independently. He contends some fighters left Russia owing him money and even accuses them of creating fake social media accounts to harass his family.
The saga continues as both sides prepare for potential legal battles ahead—a tangled web of accusations and denials that leaves many questions unanswered.