Erick Silva retires following post-COVID-19 heart attack
Former UFC and Bellator MMA competitor Erick Silva (20-11) has retired from mixed martial arts competition following a heart attack the Brazilian fighter suffered last year.
“Back in June 2021, I had a heart attack,” Silva told Globo Esporte. “I couldn’t train for a year and a half. I had gone for a session with Joilton Peregrino and made too much of an effort. We did a five-round session and I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“I thought it was just muscle fatigue, I didn’t understand what was going on. I went home, I played with my son in the pool, even while in pain. The pain would only ease off with some breathing exercises. It wouldn’t stop, though. So I got in the car and drove myself to the hospital. We did some tests and they showed that my heart enzymes were too high and I got admitted.”
“I stayed in the ICU for a week.” Silva said. “My cardiologist said it was most likely a consequence of COVID-19, because they had found a thrombus in coronary artery and that was preventing my blood from flowing. I was staying put for a while, then I did some routine exams that showed my heart’s anatomy was perfect. But this was a decisive factor in me deciding not to fight anymore.”
Silva, 38, last fought in June 2019 where he dropped a unanimous decision to Paul Daley at Bellator 223. Silva first arrived in the UFC at UFC 134 in August 2011 where he made an impression with a first round knockout over Luis Ramos.
