Alex Oliveira Injured By Grenade Blast On Christmas Eve

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight contender Alex Oliveira suffered injuries to his leg and foot last night when he was caught in the blast of a thrown grenade.

According to Brazilian news site Globo, "Cowboy" was home for the holidays in Tres Rios, a small town near Rio de Janeiro and was driving to a gas station to fuel up his mother's car when he saw several members of his family involved in an altercation. Oliveira stopped to investigate, and moments later a grenade was thrown in his direction.

“One guy came up and pointed a gun at my nephew’s face, and that’s when people started pushing each other,” Oliveira said. “They had machetes, knives, a grenade. They threw a grenade in my direction. Shrapnel hit my leg and my foot.”

Oliveira traveled to a local emergency room where doctors removed shrapnel from his leg before discharging him, then went to the police to file a report.

Oliveira (19-6-1, 1 N/C) competed most recently at UFC 231 earlier this month, where he lost to Gunnar Nelson via second-round rear-naked choke after having a huge gash opened in his forehead by an elbow strike.