Dana White: Charlie Ontiveros ‘100 Percent’ After Scary Slam KO at UFC Fight Night 181

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Although Charlie Ontiveros had to be taken from the Octagon on a stretcher following his loss to Kevin Holland at UFC Fight Night 181, the Fury Fighting Championship veteran appears to be on track to make a full recovery.

Ontiveros, who accepted the middleweight matchup on short notice, verbally submitted after Holland secured a body lock and brutally slammed him to the canvas near the cage at the 2:39 mark of Round 1. Moments earlier, Holland had threatened with a Von Flue choke before his opponent momentarily scrambled to his feet.

“I didn’t feel like the slam was that hard, but I guess it was. It was a good slam,” Holland said. “I feel like it was the Von Flue that kind of sucked. I think when I slammed him again it hurt. You have to give the guy props. He literally flew in the other day, got tested, cut weight and then fought. It’s a lot of stress.”

Though Ontiveros was removed from the cage on a stretcher as a precautionary measure, UFC president Dana White informed the broadcast team that the fighter had full feeling and movement in his limbs. White elaborated on Ontiveros’ condition during the ESPN+ post-fight show, and the early returns are encouraging.

“So what happened was when he got slammed by Holland, he felt a pop in his neck so he verbally tapped,” White said. “Because he said that we just took every precaution.

“He got examined, he got CAT scans or x-rays or whatever they did to him and the kid’s 100 percent. He’s OK. I think he’s going to have a stiff neck, some muscular stuff but he’s healthy.”

Ontiveros accepted the fight on short notice after Holland’s original foe, Makhmud Muradov, was forced off the card due to a positive COVID-19 test. The 29-year-old Texan, who normally competes at welterweight, was coming off back-to-back first-round finishes under the Fury Fighting Championship banner.