Wand: I can prove UFC has had fixed fights
Wanderlei Silva: “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…”
Wanderlei Silva has been on a rampage against the UFC in the media since being banned after evading a random drug test in Nevada. Most recently he ranted about the UFC’s firing of cut man ‘Stitch’ and accused the UFC of having fixed fights:
They fired him, Silva wrote in his native Portuguese (and translated by MMAjunkie). That’s right. They fired ‘Stitch’ for standing against this theft being perpetrated on the athletes. So I wonder, ‘why don’t they fire me?’ I already said I do not want to, nor will I work any more for to this promotion. And they won’t dismiss me. That’s what happens to those who speak the truth in this company; they’re driven out. 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!
Silva continued later in the day, with a second post that, again, referenced fixed fights.
Either you do what they tell you, or you’re fired, Silva wrote. I won’t give up until they free the athletes. This promoter is killing our sport. There are fighters going back to work to support their families because they can’t live from the sport alone. They’re very poorly paid. We are getting organized and soon I’ll have news for my brothers in the ring. This will not stand! Some have tried to buy me, but I am not, nor have I ever been for sale. And I will fight to the end, to unmask these promoters, who are deceiving the public, cheating, and taking the dignity and the honor from our sport! This is turning a pro-wrestling show with fixed fights. We have to stop these guys because that’s the end of the line for us!
Silva’s charge is an extraordinarily serious one. If Silva is correct, and the promotion has been fixing fights, they will lose their license to promote everywhere in North America. It will be the end of the UFC. The odds of that being correct are extraordinarily thin.
An irate fan on Twitter reached out to UFC president Dana White, who may have indicated there will be legal repercussions.
Daryl @DarylJohnson24
@danawhite @ufc please sue the shit out of @wandfc just because he ruined his legacy does not mean he should shit on the sport with lies!
Dana White @danawhite
@DarylJohnson24 😉
Some of Silva’s messages on his social network are over the top, like this one. Others are more sober and serious, and the subject matter deserves airing. However, Wanderlei Silva is not an appropriate spokesperson for addressing the issues of the day in our sport. He got into this mess not because of the UFC’s malfeasance, but because of the UFC’s responsible actions.
The UFC funded out of competition PED testing. When someone showed up at Wand’s gym to test him, he literally ran out the door. Then he no showed hearings, and has been suspended indefinitely by the Nevada Athletic Commission. The regulatory system in mixed martial arts acted responsibly. Wanderlei Silva acted irresponsibly. That needs to be the focus of his efforts, until it is resolved, not making crackpot charges that may only add to his legal woes.