Issue 113
April 2014
Fighter Thiago Silva cut by UFC after police standoff and arrest
Blackzilians light heavyweight Thiago Silva will “never fight in the UFC again” after he was arrested in February following a standoff with police at his Florida home where he was allegedly armed with a gun.
The 31-year-old Brazilian was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting an officer without violence.
The light heavyweight, who was dropped by the UFC soon after the incident, had apparently barricaded himself inside his residence after making threats at the jiu-jitsu school of noted black belt Pablo Popovitch. Silva surrendered to police following the standoff at his home in Fort Lauderdale, to which a SWAT team was called, shortly after 11pm on February 6th. No one was injured at either location.
UFC president Dana White was quoted by TMZ as saying: “This guy will never fight in the UFC again.”
The 16-3 (2 NC) fighter told local NBC news cameras shortly after his arrest his actions stemmed from a domestic issue with his estranged wife, Thaysa.
He denied pulling a gun on his wife and added: “She wanted my house, she wanted my money.”
Silva had been due to fight at UFC 171 in Texas on March 15th against Ovince St Preux. Russian heavyweight Nikita Krylov will drop to the 205lb limit to take his place.
WHAT'S HOT
MMA IN THE OLYMPICS
The UFC’s Ali Bagautinov carried the torch prior to Sochi 2014, as did Fedor Emelianenko, who was also in the opening ceremony
WORLD MMA AWARDS CEREMONY
We know how to hold a celebration
ALDO VS. PETTIS
If only they could decide on the details
WHAT'S NOT
TERRIBLE MMA POSTERS
Promotions need to step up their graphic design game
‘I GOTTA FEELING’
Fighters of all levels: you’ve overused that Black Eyed Peas tune. Think of something else
JULIANNA PENA’S INJURY
Two years out with a knee injury is terrible news
EXILED ANTHONY JOHNSON RETURNS TO UFC AT 205LB
Former UFC welterweight and middleweight Anthony Johnson has been re-signed by the UFC, two years after being cut by the organization. The light heavyweight will fight expert wrestler Phil Davis at UFC 172 in April.
Johnson was dropped by the UFC after missing weight twice in the 170lb class, and again after moving up to 185lb where he ultimately had to fight current training partner Vitor Belfort at 197lb after badly missing the middleweight mark. Johnson lost the bout and has since turned in a six-fight win streak, including four TKO stoppages, without missing weight – although a scheduled middleweight fight was later adjusted to a 195lb catchweight.
Johnson decisioned Andrei Arlovski at heavyweight and knocked out UFC alumni Mike Kyle and Jake Rosholt at 205lb during his undefeated run.
18
In the past three years Thiago Silva has been suspended for a total of 18 months following two positive post-fight drugs tests.
x2
UFC 169, headlined by Renan Barao’s TKO victory over Urijah Faber, holds promotion records for most decisions (10) and longest fight time (171 minutes, 14 seconds).
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