Former UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva may have bitten off more than he can chew this time. According to BloodyElbow.com’s Paul Gift, Zuffa LLC (the UFC’s parent company) has filed a lawsuit against Silva due to “intentional misconduct.”
The cause? A series of Facebook posts made by Silva on July 22 that criticized the UFC’s new Reebok uniform policy and, more importantly, claimed the world’s largest MMA promotion fixed fights, and that he could prove it (h/t MMAJunkie.com for translating the original Facebook post).
Silva has been crusading against the UFC and NSAC on social media since refusing a random drug test in May 2014, which resulted in a lifetime ban from the sport from the NSAC in September 2014 (though he is currently challenging that ban in court).
Fake fights !! We will gonna be wwe, this is finish the line , I am so sad!
— Wanderlei Silva (@wandfc) July 13, 2015
The Axe Murderer first hinted that the UFC was fixing fights on Twitter following UFC 189, where Conor McGregor defeated Chad Mendes, claiming there were “fake fights.” It wasn’t especially out of the ordinary for Silva, who frequently makes bombastic claims on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
A few days later, he went a step further on Facebook, saying (h/t MMAJunkie.com) “They have no respect for anyone. I’ve made it very clear to you all that I will never again fight for this promotion, the U.F. Circus. Fixed fights—and I can prove it! I haven’t yet dropped the bomb. I haven’t said everything I know!”
This barb crossed the line with the UFC.
Fight fixing is the greatest sin a promoter can commit. Attempting to rig fights, or even trying to influence the outcome, carries incredibly stiff penalties (including jail time), and can force all involved parties out of the combat sports game, permanently. According to the UFC’s lawsuit, (h/t Fox Sports’ Damon Martin), “Linking the UFC, its owners and senior management with illegal fight fixing is a direct attack on their reputations and alleged lack of fitness for business.”
Where things go from here is unclear. In spite of claiming Silva has proof of fixed fights, he has yet to provide any, or even openly point to any fights that he believes weren’t legitimate. If the Pride FC legend did, indeed, confabulate the claims, he may find himself at the mercy of the UFC’s legal team.
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