(“First, I established wrist control, then I grabbed my gun and pointed it at her like this.”)
Ever since being released from jail on a $25,000 bond in March, former UFC fighter Thiago Silva has quietly been awaiting trial for his armed standoff with Florida police back in February, the charges against him including aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest without violence (Yay progress!).
But being that MMA fighters make shit for money and we all know it, one would imagine that Silva could probably use a side job to pay all the hefty lawyer fees his future has in store. I mean, not at any place with a semi-reputable standing in the MMA community, but surely someone, somewhere, could put a guy with Silva’s skills (Muay Thai, BJJ, improvised intimidation techniques) to work, right?
Well…(via Fox Sports)
Silva is back at Jaco Hybrid Training Center, home of the Blackzilians fight team, teaching kickboxing and continuing to train with his teammates. Silva, who was wearing an ankle monitor, was asked for comment on his situation at the gym Friday and he declined to talk about it.
Blackzilians head coach Jorge Santiago said the team is happy to have Silva back in the fold. ”Having him around is great,” Santiago said. “He brings energy. It’s contagious.”
Not to mention he’s a staple of the community! — Florida
Additionally, FOX Sports’ Marc Raimondi posted the above photo to his Twitter — an ad for Silva’s classes that conveniently neglects to mention how Silva achieved the title of “UFC veteran.”
And if you think thaaat’s bad, you might be interested to know that last Friday, Silva’s wife, Thaysa Kamiji, had a judge withdraw the restraining order she had placed against Silva following that whole “He stuck a gun in mouth and said he’d kill me if he ever got of jail” thing. Apparently it’s all forgive and forget in Brazil, which is why rather than look for a plea, Silva’s attorney Scott Saul (as in, “Better Call”) is hoping that his client will beat the charges outright.
I’m looking to beat this stuff. What made this so juicy in the beginning, that’s not what the case is any longer. Why did that happen? What was written in the police reports is not exactly accurate.
So there you have it: A former UFC fighter currently facing aggravated assault charges is teaching kickboxing and life skills to our nation’s youth because hey, the cops may have exacerbated the extent of his homicidal rage in their reports. (And we’ll call it, AMERICA!)
Personally, I think the most absurd aspect of Silva’s story is that he has the audacity to list “conditioning” as one of his strong suits. HI-OH!