UFC Fighter Accused Of Violently Assaulting Girlfriend, Seriously Injuring Her

Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Priscila Cachoeira, 32, has been accused of physically abusing her ex-girlfriend multiple times over several years, which allegedly resulted in the victim to suffer from serious injuries.

Marcelle Nunes, Cachoeira's former partner, has accused the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight of assault on three occasions between 2019 and 2021, MMA Fighting first reported, citing a police report. She was granted a restraining order against Cachoeira after pressing charges.

Nunes claimed "her life was in danger because [Cachoeira] used drugs and alcohol," the report indicated. Additionally, Cachoeira allegedly threatened to go after Nunes when she moved away because she did not accept the end of their relationship.

"I slept in fear," Nunes was quoted as saying. She claimed Cachoeira used marijuana, cocaine and alcohol and that she had attempted to leave Belem, where the two had stayed, on multiple occasions, but Cachoeira was always very aggressive toward her.

The most recent attack happened in February of this year in the northern city of Belem and involved Cachoeira kicking Nunes in the body during an argument while the MMA fighter was "highly intoxicated and probably on drugs," the report stated.

Nunes had cut her hand on a glass shelf during the incident, which tore her ligaments and required two surgeries. The attack had left her with "limited hand movements," as per the documents.

The earliest incident, meanwhile, allegedly happened in mid-2019 while the two were living in Rio de Janeiro, where Cachoeira pulled Nunes' hair, threw her on the ground and kicked her "all over the body," according to the documents. Cachoeira allegedly only stopped "when she saw blood" coming out of a wound on Nunes' head.

The next incident allegedly happened in September that year, also in Rio de Janeiro, and it caused Nunes to seek medical assistance to avoid losing a tooth after the UFC fighter knocked her unconscious with a punch in the mouth.

Cachoeira denied Nunes’ accusations in a written statement sent to MMA Fighting via her management team.

"I've never committed any physical assault against Marcelle," Cachoeira said in the statement. "She would lose control many times during an argument and wanted to hit me, but I just defended myself."

Following the accusations, Cachoeira pressed charges against Nunes for defamation Thursday.

Cachoeira claimed Nunes was "trying to harm" her career "as a UFC fighter and public figure" by "defaming" her on social media, accusing her of being a drug addict and claiming that she had been assaulted during their relationship.

The UFC fighter did not rule out filing a lawsuit against Nunes over the accusations, the police report said.