T. Silva (photo) was fired shortly after being rehired. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Former UFC light heavyweight, Thiago Silva is back in MMA. The São Paulo native, who hasn't fought since the end of 2013, signed a contract with the WSOF and will take part in a tournament that will define the new champion of the organization's 93 kg division.
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On March 28, in one of the semifinals, Silva will face another Brazilian recently left the UFC, Ronny Markes. Whoever wins will face the winner of the other semifinal, which will be between former UFC fighter Matt Hamill and a fighter to be determined.
the last fight of Thiago Silva in the octagon was on October 9, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 29, in Barueri (SP). On that occasion, the Brazilian beat Hamill himself in the judges' decision. After that, the fighter got involved in a mess with his ex-wife and her new boyfriend, jiu-jitsu teacher Pablo Popovitch, and was fired from the UFC. He was briefly rehired shortly after, but was dismissed again after the release of controversial videos.
The president of the WSOF, fellow fighter Ray Sefo, said he analyzed the case before deciding to hire the Brazilian. “We thoroughly researched his situation and the case was withdrawn. He was not convicted. In my opinion, you are innocent until proven guilty. This guy is a great fighter, so we want to give him an opportunity,” said Sefo.
At 32 years old, Silva has a record of 16 wins and three losses in professional MMA, having already beaten names like Rafael Feijão, Keith Jardine and Houston Alexander. His only losses were to prominent names: Lyoto Machida, Rashad evans e Alexander Gustafson.
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