One of the sisters who was stabbed by UFC fighter Irwin Rivera said on Friday that her brother had not acted like himself in the days leading up to Thursday’s incident.
Rivera’s sisters, Lezlye and Kelly, remain in the hospital but in stable condition, the hunter’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN.
Earlier Friday, Lezlye wrote in a Facebook post that Rivera hadn’t slept, talked like he normally would, and completely lost interest in MMA training, which is what “he lives to do.” Lezlye said she flew to Rivera, Florida because of his bizarre behavior.
Unfortunately, his mental stage was worse than we could [have] thought and before we could help him, he broke completely, ‘wrote Lezlye.
“His mentality has been completely corrupted into something unrecognizable.”
According to a Boynton Beach Police Department incident report obtained by ESPN, Rivera, who was arrested on Thursday, admitted that he tried to kill his two sisters by stabbing them with a knife in the early morning hours. Rivera said, according to the report, his goal was to kill his sisters, told him by “a higher power.”
Rivera first appeared in court Friday morning and is now being held in a behavioral health facility after the court approved an emergency move, according to online data. He was charged with two attempted murder and is being held without bond.
Abdelaziz said Rivera was “very respectful” and a favorite of his Dominance MMA management team. He called Rivera’s actions unusual, and like Rivera’s sisters, he wants the hunter to receive mental health care.
“His sisters support him 100 percent,” Abdelaziz told ESPN. “They said, ‘My brother is a good, beautiful person and needs help.’ They said it wasn’t really him. ‘
In the Facebook post, Lezlye wrote that she and her family “wish [Rivera] to get the professional mental help he so badly needs. “
Rivera’s mother, Susana Campos, told Mexican publication Milenio that her son “lost his memory and something evil took over him a few days ago. His mind was blocked. He wasn’t himself.”
Rivera, a 31-year-old Mexican resident and Florida resident, debuted in the UFC last May and was 1-2 in 2020. He is a former Titan FC Bantamweight Champion.
In a statement on Thursday, the UFC said it was investigating the “extremely troubling” situation and would not offer Rivera a fight at this time.