UFC's leaders have changed their minds—again—and dumped light heavyweight Thiago Silva today after welcoming him back just two weeks ago.
What changed? After all, they already knew the scary details of Silva's arrest in Broward County, Fla., which included accusations that he forced a gun inside his wife's mouth and threatened to kill her and another man. They knew the charges were dropped, but only because the main witness—his wife, Thaysa Silva—left the country. And still UFC took him back.
Apparently, the words of a fearful woman weren't enough for UFC bigwigs. They needed video evidence, and they got that today. Two videos were posted online, possibly by Silva's wife, called "Thiago Silva UFC ARMED AND DRUGGED." Bloody Elbow posted a translation of the conversation heard in one video, which is in Portuguese.
Thiago: Why did you call the cops, honey? I did nothing, why are you recording?
Thiago: Honey, Why are you doing this? Tell me.
Thaysa: Thiago, stop staring like that. Give the gun, please, I'm here.
Thiago: Turn off the camera. I know that you are hiding a guy up there, do you think that I'm a fool?
Thaysa: Which guy, Thiago?
Thiago: You think that I'm stupid. You're pointing this at my face, so I can't see that stuff over there. Take that light out of my face, please.
Thaysa: No, Thiago, because it will be a proof if I die.
Thiago: Proof of what, you aren't going to die. You are lying, there is a guy and he'll do something, I'm not stupid.
Thaysa: Thiago, one day you're going to kill because of your addiction.
Thiago: I'm not going to kill you. You're doing something.
Thaysa: What am I doing, Thiago?
Thiago: You called a guy to come here. Take this light out of me.
Thaysa: I'm recording you, Thiago.
Thiago: Why are you doing this?
Thaysa: To show you everything when you get normal again, you've never brought a gun before.
Thiago: I did nothing. Stop lying.
Thaysa: You have a gun in your hand.
Thiago: It's in my pocket, I did nothing.
Thaysa Silva also gave an interview to Extra in which she explained why she felt like she had to leave. Again, as translated on Bloody Elbow:
"I'm still afraid. Cause I, since the beginning, told the State that I had everything against him, that they had to organize. The State just said they would use it in court. But over there (US) everything takes a lot of time, unlike us Brazilians, we want to solve everything immediately. I felt used and unprotected, while Thiago's managers paid a lot of money for his defense and coerced me, so everything got rough for me... where I lived, my car, my dogs ... Wow, they made my life a hell."
The UFC has a statement up on its website; it doesn't mention whether UFC president Dana White still considers Thiago Silva "untainted."