The Executive Director of the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) Keith Kizer has categorically stated Anderson Silva is close to being a persona non grata in the State of Nevada for chin checking Chael Sonnen at the UFC 148 weigh-in.
From Kizer, originally reported by Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com (h/t MMAMania.com):
“I told him if you ever do anything like that again you will not be invited to fight in Nevada again.”
Furthermore, Kizer was none too pleased with Silva’s alleged greasing prior to the opening stanza. Apparently, the middleweight titlist rubbed the customary Vaseline from his face onto his chest. However, Yvez Lavigne, the officiating referee, wiped him down before proceedings got underway.
On the whole, Kizer felt Silva’s antics before and during the UFC 148 event were wholly unacceptable, and as a consequence the Brazilian was given a severe verbal warning regarding his future conduct.
“If the next few Anderson Silva fights don’t happen in Nevada, it won’t bother me in the least,” Kizer said.
That said, MMA’s most eagerly awaited bagarre ended with “The Spider” retaining his title via second-round TKO.
Albeit Sonnen controlled the fight from the outset, his demise came as a result of an ill-advised spun backfist which landed him on the seat of his pants, thus giving Silva the opening to execute his coup de grâce—a knee to the chest followed by some vicious ground-and-pound.
However, the stoppage was initially shrouded in controversy due to the aforementioned knee strike to the chest—Sonnen’s coach is of the impression Silva had bad intentions when kneeing (video replay deemed the knee legal) his charge and as such is appealing the loss.
Nonetheless, Kizer believes the grounds for appeal are near enough non-existent.
Kizer gave four reasons for appealing an outcome:
1) Failed drug test.
2) Miscalculation of a scorecard.
3) Collusion (official paid off).
4) Referee misinterprets a rule (for example: allows soccer kick when soccer is illegal).
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