MMA legend Wanderlei Silva retires, lashes out at UFC

After 49 prizefighting bouts, Wanderlei Silva has announced his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).

The 38-year-old fighter known as “The Axe Muderer” publicly revealed on Saturday, September 20 (PH Time) that he is hanging up the gloves for good via online video uploaded on YouTube.

In a statement that lasted more than 13 minutes and ranged from a fuming tirade to an emotional farewell, Silva expressed that he no longer has the desire to compete and blamed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for extinguishing his fire to fight.

“Today is a very sad day for me. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep being treated this way. I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei Silva will not fight again. My career is over because I don’t have the stage to perform where athletes get the proper respect,” he said.

Silva is currently involved in a matter with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) as the governing body will rule on September 23 whether or not to move ahead with a disciplinary hearing regarding the Brazilian’s decision to dodge a random drug test in Las Vegas this past June.

Although he did not address his status with NSAC in the released footage, Silva previously stated that he turned down the random test because he was taking banned diuretics at the time, which he claimed to decrease the swelling caused by a wrist injury.

Silva, who made his professional MMA debut in 1996 and has fought exclusively under the UFC banner since December 2007, coached opposite sides with Chael Sonnen on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil earlier this year.

The 5-foot-10 fighter was originally penciled to face Sonnen on May 31 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but the tussle was eventually rebooked at UFC 175 on July 5 in Las Vegas before being scrapped by NSAC in June when Silva evaded the random check and Sonnen tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

According to Silva, the world’s premier MMA promotion repeatedly attempted to book the match-up despite his insistence that he would not be able to step inside the Octagon until late 2014.

“They kept pressuring me. I said I could only fight at the end of the year. They opened their eyes wide. I was not in the physical condition necessary to fight the July card. My body wasn’t responding and I couldn’t train,” he shared.

Apart from his personal diatribe, Silva stressed that the Las Vegas-based company is underpaying its combatants, disrespecting them, and forcing them to fight even when injured.

“They don’t give anything to the athletes, only crumbs. This is a shameless lack of respect, but enough is enough,” he mentioned.

Silva cited the situation of fellow countryman and former bantamweight titlist Renan Barao, who fought three times in six months but was severely criticized by UFC officials when he failed to make the contracted weight for his rematch against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 177 in August and passed out while cutting weight.

“What did the promoters do? They mocked him. They were all proud to keep saying that Barao is going home without a dime. Is that the way to treat an athlete? And to be called a kid in the media?” Silva asserted in fury.

Renowned for his heydays in the now-defunct PRIDE organization where he reigned as its middleweight champion, Silva was last seen in action when he knocked out Brian Stann in the second round at UFC on FUEL TV 8 in March 2013.

Silva leaves MMA with a record of 35-12-1 and one no contest, including 25 knockouts. In addition, he holds notable triumphs over the likes of  Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Michael Bisping and Cung Le, to name a few. – Rappler.com