Wanderlei Silva Retires from MMA - East Idaho News
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Wanderlei Silva Retires from MMA

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ufc?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1411210204960Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Veteran mixed martial artist Wanderlei Silva retired abruptly on Friday, announcing his decision in a surprise 13-minute YouTube video. Silva cited “disillusionment” with the UFC, his current employer, as the main reason for his decision to walk away from the sport.

The 38-year-old claimed that the UFC repeatedly attempted to get him to fight when he was not healthy and accused the sports top promotion of paying their athletes with “crumbs.” Silva was supposed to fight Chael Sonnen, his opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil in May before the bout was rescheduled July. 

“They told me I had to fight on that date and offered me a bunch of money,” Silva said. “I asked myself, ‘If they have the money, why didn’t they offer it to me before?’ They always hold on to the money so they underpay athletes.”

Silva (35-12-1) made his professional debut in 1996 and eventually won the Pride middleweight championship. The Brazilian has fought exclusively for the UFC since 2007. Currently, he is involved in an issue with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) regarding Silva’s dodging of a random drug test.


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