Wanderlei Silva will never fight again.
More than a year after his last fight inside the Octagon, and still involved a controversy with the Nevada Athletic Commission, the former PRIDE champion has announced his retirement on YouTube. And he blames the UFC for his decision.
“I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei Silva will not fight again,” he said. “My career is over. Because I don’t have a stage to perform, where the athletes get the proper respect. For these reasons, I have had enough.
“They tried to turn my fans against me. My fans, who have followed me for 20 years, before this promotion even existed I was already fighting in Brazil. I have fought bare-knuckle and I helped building this sport. Everything you see today, I helped build with my sweat and blood.”
Silva, who hasn’t fought since an epic second-round knockout victory over Brian Stann, ends his MMA career with a professional record of 35-12-1 with one no-contest.