Thiago Silva back in UFC
It wasn’t long after Thiago Silva was arrested following a standoff with police in South Florida in February that Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White released Silva from the organization and declared the light heavyweight would never again compete in the UFC.
Now he’s back.
White reversed course and announced Silva was back under contract after the Broward County Attorney’s Office decided to drop all charges last week.
A representative of the court told TMZ that the victim, Silva’s estranged wife, was uncooperative and had likely moved out of the country.
“When this thing went down, I said he’d never fight in the UFC again,” White said in a statement. “When I watched it unfold on TV and heard of the charges, it didn’t look good for Thiago Silva. But he was acquitted of all charges. How do you not let the guy fight again? He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted. He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”
The charges were dropped and Silva is free, though he wasn’t acquitted at trial.
His legal woes stemmed from an incident that took place on Feb. 6 when Silva confronted his estranged wife and Pablo Popovitch, a man who she was allegedly in a relationship with, outside Popovitch’s jiu-jitsu academy. Silva allegedly was drunk and threatened both of them with a gun before driving away.
Officers responded to Silva’s residence and arrested him after a standoff. According to a police report, it was not the first incident between Silva and his wife of 13 years. He had also allegedly pointed a gun in her mouth and sent text messages that included death threats.
Silva was originally charged with attempted murder, but the charge was quickly amended to two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. With the victims unwilling to cooperate in the case, Silva is free from the legal system. He did 30 days in prison after his arrest and has been under house arrest, according to reports.
He posted a video on social media thanking all who have stood beside him and confirming his return to the UFC.
“The truth just came up,” he said. “So everyone knows the truth, everything.”
He ended the video with his trademark throat slash gesture.
Silva is currently rehabbing from knee surgery, but said he plans on fighting again in early 2015.
■ TUF 20 — Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” will premiere Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1 (Cable 329).
The season will be the first to feature an all-female cast and will also be the first to award a title.
The show will serve as an introduction of the women’s strawweight division to the UFC, meaning the winner of the 16-woman tournament will be crowned the organization’s first 115-pound champion.
■ ARLOVSKI-BIGFOOT REMATCH — Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will look to avenge a 2010 loss to Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva when the two meet in the main event of UFC Fight Night 51 in Brasilia, Brazil, on Saturday.
The first bout took place on a Strikeforce card and was the third of four straight losses during a particularly disappointing stretch of Arlovksi’s career.
He has won seven of eight decisions since that losing streak, including a lackluster decision victory over Brendan Schaub in his UFC return in June.
Silva is coming off a suspension for testing positive for elevated testosterone levels following a fight against Mark Hunt in December, the second performance-enhancing drug-related disciplinary action of his career.
The event will air exclusively on the UFC’s online platform, Fight Pass.
■ TUFF-N-UFF RETURNS — Las Vegas-based amateur organization Tuff-N-Uff will host an event at The Cannery on Craig Road on Friday night.
The first bout on the card, which is headlined by unbeaten local Bryan Calleros taking on A.J. Siscoe of Chicago, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
