Anthony Johnson suspended, Thiago Silva released for second time

The UFC has suspended light heavyweight Anthony Johnson indefinitely, after the mother of his children received restraining order, and told police of threats and a history of abuse.

“We are aware of the situation involving Anthony Johnson,” said the UFC statement. “As a result, we are suspending him indefinitely. We are using a third-party law firm to conduct a formal investigation and once we have more information, we’ll determine whether further course of action is necessary.”

In related news, the league has again suspended light heavyweight Thiago Silva.

Silva made national news of the worst sort in March, when he was arrested for allegedly threatening his estranged wife, Thaysa Kamiji Ramos da Silva, with a handgun. The fighter was released from his UFC contract within hours.

Silva was charged initially with two counts of attempted felony murder. The court quickly determined there was insufficient cause to levy the murder charges, as no shots were fired, and Silva was instead charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and one count of resisting an officer without violence.

However, the Broward County Attorney’s Office recently announced that all charges were dropped.

“The victim was uncooperative, and investigators determined that she has likely moved out of the country,” said the statement.

Silva and his wife were divorced in June, and she returned to Brazil on July 4, leaving the state unable to present evidence. However, a video was recently uploaded alleging that Silva was using cocaine, and was carrying a handgun.

Again, the UFC reacted quickly.

“Thiago Silva was released from his UFC contract on Feb. 7 due to his arrest by police in South Florida. The charges against Silva were dropped by the Broward County District Attorney’s office and Silva was re-signed to the UFC earlier this month,” began the official release. “Based on new information received today in the form of video and audio evidence, Silva has been terminated from his UFC contract.”

Domestic violence is a major problem in America, and professional sports are no exception. The country is in the midst of a frank dialogue on the subject, that hopefully leaves us more decent, humane, and lawful.

TheHotLine.org is a good resource for anyone feeling threatened by domestic violence. Computer use can be monitored, so a number is also available to call – 800.799.7233.