A BRAZILIAN mayor and a former councillor settled their political differences last weekend with a brutal MMA fight.

Simao Peixoto, the mayor of Borba in the region of Amazonas, and Erineu Alvas Da Silva had been at loggerheads over the management of Balneario Lima – a water park in the city – for several months.

And they decided to settle their disagreement by strapping on gloves and taking part in a mixed martial arts fight at the 12th annual Leonardo Almeida MMA cup.

The bout, which was agreed and live-streamed on social media, took place early on Sunday morning in front of a packed crowd early.

Peixoto, 39, entered the cage donning a towel that had 'Jesus' emblazoned across it.

As expected the contest was far from spectacular, with both men exhibiting a lack of technique.

Silva, 45, was the aggressor from the outset, looking to utilise leg kicks. That was until Peixoto landed a stiff jab that knocked him down.

The mayor pounced, pinning him to the canvas and raining down several strikes.

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Silva, however, eventually managed to reverse the position and punish his rival with ground strikes of his own.

Both men drained their gas tanks in a fiery first round, which led to the remaining two stanzas being sloppy and rigid affairs.

Silva got the better of the exchanges and the crowd expected him to have his hand raised after the final round.

But much to their surprise, the judges gave Mayor Peixoto the victory.

Local media were stunned by the result, with news website Fato Amazonico writing: “The mayor took such a beating, his jaw dropped."

Angry spectators reportedly shouted 'stitch up' after the verdict was announced.

Both men, however, hugged after the result of the bout was announced.

Peixoto reflected on the fight on Instagram, writing: "Last Saturday (11th), the municipality of Borba, state of Amazonas, held the 12th edition of the Leonardo Almeida MMA Cup in order to collect food for families in situations of social vulnerability, starting the Christmas Solidarity festivities.

"In total, there were 14 fights, with the participation of athletes from the cities of Manaus, Nova Olinda do Norte, Novo Aripuanã and Borba.

"One of the most anticipated fights by the public, and the main one, that of Mayor Simao Peixoto versus Erineu Alves (Mirico), in which both agreed to participate in the event with the sole objective of collecting food for the Christmas Solidarity.

"The victory of the main event was for Mayor Simao Peixoto, who managed to encourage the practice of the sport, and through food donations as a way to enter the event, he developed a spirit of solidarity in the residents.

"It is worth remembering that the state of Amazonas is known as the World Champion Factory with its renowned MMA athletes.

"The event was registered and approved by the Federation Amazonense Nak Su de Muay Thay and MMA, who sent their referees for its realization.

"To enter the gym, the public had to prove the vaccination schedule, in addition to wearing a mask, a requirement of the event's organization."

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