Ex-PFL fighter Bruce Souto shot twice fleeing gunman after Brazilian football fan dispute

Former Professional Fighters League fighter Bruce Souto was shot twice on Thursday in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, after a confrontation stemming from a dispute between rival football fan groups. His manager, Jorge Nojikoski, confirmed the incident on social media Friday morning, stating that Souto was struck in the buttocks by two of six rounds fired as he fled the shooter.

Souto was taken to Joao XXIII Hospital in his home city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, where he is being treated and is listed in stable condition. His team confirmed via his Instagram Stories that his injuries are non-life-threatening and that he is expected to be discharged shortly.

According to Brazilian news outlet O Tempo, the shooting occurred during a local football match. Souto is a supporter of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube and a member of Mafia Azul, a passionate fan club associated with the Belo Horizonte club. Cruzeiro’s fierce local rivals, Atletico Mineiro, have their own organised supporter group, Torcida Galoucura. The confrontation reportedly escalated from a debate over who would become the new president of Mafia Azul, at which point a member of Torcida Galoucura approached Souto.

A police report states that the suspect walked up to Souto and asked, “Do you have a problem with me?” before drawing a revolver and chasing him, firing six shots at the fleeing fighter. Brazilian outlet Estado de Minas reported that Souto identified the shooter to police as someone he knows personally.

A subsequent post on Souto’s Instagram profile — a permanent post rather than a disappearing Story — named the alleged shooter as a man known as “Vinicin” Caveira, identified by Brazilian news organisation Record Minas as Marcos Vinicius Oliveira de Melo.

“They just tried to take Bruce’s life,” the post read. “He fired several shots at Bruce, hitting him twice. Let’s pray for his life and that this thug, this criminal, is arrested and never gets out of jail again.”

The post also called on authorities to act swiftly, tagging a government organisation and the local military police. No arrest had been publicly confirmed at the time of publication.