UFC fighter Alex 'Cowboy' Oliveira required surgery after being injured by grenade fragments in his native Brazil, when he came to the aid of family members involved in an altercation outside of Rio de Janeiro.
According to reports, Oliveira went to purchase gasoline for his mother's car on Monday when he saw family members in the dispute.
Also on rt.com 'Hope they won't take it to the stands!': Khabib breaks down ice hockey fight (VIDEO)He stopped the car and just moments later a grenade was thrown in his direction.
Explaining the incident to local TV, Oliveira said that the situation could have potentially been much more serious.
"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. Fragments flew to my leg and my foot."
READ MORE: Jon 'Bones' Jones - Recapping the UFC 232 star's most controversial moments
The fighter, who holds a 19-6-1(2) record in professional mixed martial arts, was transported to a medical facility where he underwent a minor procedure to remove shrapnel fragments from his leg.
There is no indication as to whether any arrests have been made in relation to the matter.
The incident compounds a bad month for Oliveira, after he needed more than 30 stitches to seal a gaping head wound he suffered in his December 8 submission loss to Gunnar Nelson at UFC 231.