An athlete has been left paralysed from the waist down after his opponent performed a horror move during a Brazilian jiu-jitsu bout.
Shocking footage shows the moment Willian “Kabuto” Hiroyuki Masuda suffered a serious cervical spine injury.
The black belt was fighting Juliano Di Pelli Machado in a no-gi bout, in which competitors fight without a kimono.
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At the moment of the move, Willian’s head was facing downwards.
His chin can be seen folding into his chest at a sickening angle as Machado comes down on top of him with his full body weight.
The dangerous move left Willian lying motionless on the ground at the Super Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Londrina, Brazil.
Willian was treated at the scene on Saturday (22 August) before being taken to hospital.
Doctors confirmed he had suffered fractures to the C5 and C6 vertebrae in his neck.
By Tuesday night (25 August), he had undergone 10 hours of spinal fusion surgery to stabilise his spine.
According to his family and friends, he currently has no movement in his legs and has reduced sensation in his arms.
Willian remains in hospital and is breathing without the assistance of a ventilator, as reported by Need To Know.
On Monday (24 August), prosecutor Renato de Lima Castro filed a criminal complaint requesting that the incident be investigated as extremely serious bodily injury.
The complaint said: “In what was an extremely dangerous move, clearly apparent to any athlete or ordinary spectator, Juliano launched himself fully onto the victim, Willian ‘Kabuto’, bringing his entire body weight down on him in one motion and severely injuring him while he was in a highly vulnerable position.”
Police have confirmed to local media that they will open an investigation into the incident.
Machado’s legal representatives said in a statement that he was “deeply shaken” by Willian’s condition.
The statement added: “He reiterates his full respect for the authorities and his absolute willingness to cooperate fully with any investigation, providing whatever information is requested by the relevant authorities.”
It continued: “Juliano is a professional athlete and a medalist at both the European and World Championships, having spent years competing at the highest level with no history of unsportsmanlike conduct or disciplinary sanctions.”
The event organisers, Super Pro Jiu-Jitsu, said Willian was “promptly attended to by the medical team and ambulance from the Mais Saúde service, which was providing medical support at the venue.
“Following a medical assessment, the competitor was taken to hospital as required.”
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