UFC, PFL vet Antonio Carlos Junior issues apology after being kicked off Big Brother Brazil for sexual assault

Antonio Carlos Junior (also known as "Shoe Face") was looking close to winning Big Brother Brazil before several incidents with a female cast member saw him booted from the show.

In some of the videos, you can see Carlos Junior kissing Mexican model Dania Mendez and holding her down on a bed as she asks him to stop. Production had to intervene and eventually pulled him from the show altogether.

“We have a guest in the house, a visitor. A person that came from another country. Above all that a woman,” Big Brother Brasil host Tadeu Schmidt said (h/t MMA Fighting). “And as every woman, she deserves absolute respect. After everything we saw and heard, I’m here to say we didn’t like what we saw yesterday. ‘Sapato’ and Guime crossed the line. And you must be careful with boundaries. In there and out here. So, for going against the rules of the program, Guime and ‘Sapato’ are eliminated from BBB 23.”

Now, days removed from the show he's issued a public apology to the woman, the show and to all women.

"I didn't show up here before because it was all very upsetting for me, it happened so fast and it made me very sad," he said (translated by AG Fight for FanSided MMA). "I've always cherished the care and well-being of all people and honestly I never imagined in my life getting involved in a situation like the one I'm living now. At the time, I didn't realize that I might be going too far. For me, it's a moment of deconstruction. And not always that path is an on-and-off switch. I needed to watch everything to be able to understand and resignify my view on this. I understand that these are attitudes that can never be normalized. But I believe that the most important thing is to apologize from the bottom of my heart to Dania, to her family, and to all the women who were affected by my attitude. I am a fighter and I fight for good causes. I learned as much to celebrate my victories as I learned from my mistakes and defeats. And that's exactly what I'm doing now, learning and maturing with all of this. Finally, I want to thank all the people who sent messages, who showed affection, and also, especially those who pointed out my mistakes and made me see what I was not able to see."

Carlos Junior most recently fought under the PFL banner, even winning the 2021 PFL light heavyweight title. He fought in the 2022 season, winning both his fights.

He is not currently scheduled for the 2023 PFL season, due to the TV show, and there's been no response from PFL about the future of Carlos Junior on their roster.

Carlos Junior competed in the UFC from 2014 where he won The Ultimate Fighter" Brazil and fought under the banner up until 2021. He holds UFC wins over Tim Boetsch, Marvin Vettori and Eric Spicely, among others.