Despite being denied a license to fight in Nevada this week, light heavyweight Thiago Silva will fight again in the World Series of Fighting promotion.
That’s according to matchmaker and WSOF Executive Vice President Ali Abdel-Aziz, who addressed the situation Wednesday in an interview with Bleacher Report.
“Yes, we’ll book him again,” Abdel-Aziz said. “I feel bad for Thiago. He’s not going to be able to fight, to make money. But he understands. It is what it is.”
In February 2014, Silva was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and resisting an officer after he barricaded himself in his home following a confrontation with his then-estranged wife, Thaysa Kamiji. He was released by the UFC, with UFC President Dana White telling TMZ Sports that Silva would “never fight in the UFC again.”
However, the UFC reinstated Silva later that year after Silva’s wife fled the country and all charges were dropped.
The story took yet another turn when Kamiji released videos that purported to show Silva on drugs and brandishing a gun. The UFC released Silva again.
The World Series of Fighting signed Silva in January. Though the move raised eyebrows, Abdel-Aziz said he did due diligence on Silva, including speaking with some of Silva’s training-camp teammates at the Blackzilians camp in Florida.
“When he became a free agent, I went to Rashad Evans. I went to [camp owner] Glenn Robinson,” Abdel-Aziz said. “They said he was a good guy who just got caught in a bad situation. … I don’t have the authority as a human being to judge. That’s for the court.”
Abdel-Aziz also suggested the Nevada State Athletic Commission—which denied Silva a license based on “past issues,” perhaps including his failure to attend a hearing related to his prior doctoring of a urine sample—did not properly inform Silva or WSOF officials of the hearing.
“We didn’t know because they didn’t tell us about it,” Abdel-Aziz said. “But I’m not going to point fingers. We’re going to move forward.”
Speaking of moving forward, Abdel-Aziz said that despite his intention to schedule Silva for another fight, Silva is subject to the WSOF’s “zero-tolerance” policy. In essence, if Silva is convicted of a crime in the future, he will then face his release from WSOF.
“I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t there,” Abdel-Aziz said. “But his friends say he’s good. Around me, he’s very respectful. We ask him to do something, and he does it. … If a judge doesn’t convict him, I don’t convict him. Everybody has a story.”
The 32-year-old Silva (16-4) is 0-1 in WSOF. He sustained a knockout loss to Teddy Holder in his first and only fight.
Silva’s opponent at WSOF 22, Mike Kyle, will now face Clifford Starks at the event.
Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. Feel free to follow Scott on Twitter. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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