Anderson Silva No Shows at UFC Media Event, Fined $50,000

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The UFC’s somewhat excentric and very talented Middleweight Champion has been fined for missing a media event in Los Angeles. Instead of fulfilling his obligations to the UFC he hopped onto the next flight home and chose to pay the penalty of which was stated by Dana White to be a sum of $50,000.

UFC President Dana White spoke to USA Today Sports and MMAJunkie.com about Anderson Silva’s absence:

“We had a full media day set up for him in Los Angeles, and he just decided he didn’t want to do it, so he’s being fined $50,000. He doesn’t like talking to the media, but it’s part of his contractual obligation,” said the upset UFC President.

“Everybody wants more money, more money, more money, but nobody wants to sell the fight or go out and talk to the media. Talking to the media is part of your job, whether you like it or not.”

This is not the first time we have seen this kind of behavior from arguably the best pound for pound fighter in mixed martial arts. Anderson Silva is notorious for keeping his mouth shut prior to his first fight with Chael Sonnen; a moment in UFC history that Dana White would surely love to forget.

He has also had his less favorable moments inside the octagon if we look back to fights with Demian Maia and Thales Leites. Fights that saw the Middleweight Champ skate through five rounds with little effort given and little risk taken.

So should we be so surprised that Silva pulled a ‘Nick Diaz’?

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Here are a few amusing FB responses:

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Ppl open your eyes! He doesn't want to get popped with a surprise drug test!!! They all take PED's until the last month of training before a fight

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You can't say you like MMA and at the same time say you don't like Silva...this man has re-defined the term "Champion" and "MIXED Martial Artist"...this being said, even him is not above his responsibility specially after the big deal he made about his contract, then by all means, Sir, honor your obligations to the organization. This is going to end by White and Silva being on bad terms when they finally part ways....watch..

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In other news, a dollar fell out of my wallet yesterday and i just can't seem to find it.. oh well

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yeah he does not care about promoting his sport does he...i wish bone;s would wipe that cocky smerck right of his face

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arguably, it's dana's job to promote the fights...not the fighters'...the wwe schtick was funny/entertaining for a while, but we saw how much hype by the fighters can lead to disappointing matches...

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This is not the first time we have seen this kind of behavior from arguably the best pound for pound fighter in mixed martial arts. Anderson Silva is notorious for keeping his mouth shut prior to his first fight with Chael Sonnen; a moment in UFC history that Dana White would surely love to forget.

I personally prefer to watch a fighter perform exceptionally in the cage than perform exceptionally out of it. Sonnen was 3-0 in title fights if the winner was the guy who sold the fight the best. He was dominant. But he's 0-3 in those actual fights with two first round finishes.
Yeah, this could hurt Dana's pockets because the fight might not get as many PPVs as it would if Silva showed up and threw some barbs, but if the intent here by the author is to make me as a fan feel slighted in some way by Silva, big swing and a miss on that one.

So this doesn't give you the "what a douche" feeling? He flat out said no to a contractually obligated media deal. This isn't like the "Oops I'm a dip shit and can't be found." Diaz debacle. Also, it's not as if he had to go anywhere long distance to do this. He was already in the area and instead he said no and left.

This is "I'm a douche and too good for this. Take $50K."

Just seems like an incredibly selfish/childish thing for him to do.

It's official Silva is to MMA what Mayweather is to Boxing in my book.

Yeah I'm a bit surprised by the pass he's being given for this as well. When Nick Diaz does it, he's the biggest douchebag on the planet, but when Silva does its who cares about promoting the fight?

I totally agree with Dana. IT...IS...YOUR...JOB! They are paying you millions of dollars. If they tell you to show up to your fucking media day they planned then show up. Hell I make more than ten times less than him and I have to work 345 days a year. If my boss tells me to go mop the fucking floor I am going to hate it, but I will do it or I will quit.

Could you imagine the shit GSP would have gotten had it been him and not Diaz that pulled the no show?

The CHAMP pulls a no show? WTF is that!!?

Who are these assholes commenting about how it's Dana's job to promote fights and not the fighters?
It's a fucking contractual obligation. If it's in your contract, it IS your job.

It's no different than NFL coaches and players being required to attend press conferences and do post game and halftime interviews to the media. If they don't do them, they get fined since it is in their contract.

Whoa whoa whoa.....settle down fellas! LOL

I didn't say he gets a pass or anything like that. That's why I only quoted one portion of the article; the part that mentions that Silva "keeps his mouth shut", and how that's supposed to be a problem somehow.

That's a completely different animal right there. You guys are beefed because he willfully skipped a media obligation. OK, that's fine. But my beef is with the idea being pushed in that article that Silva is some kind of asshole because he won't talk shit at pressers. That is a completely assinine opinion.

Also, who is giving him a pass? You guys are acting like this is being swept under the rug or something. Dana himself stated to the media "I'm fining him $50,000 for not showing up" and then went on a rant about doing your job and promoting the fight and blah blah blah. If that's not putting Silva on the spot, I don't know what is.
It's not like he's getting away with something here. He got called out in public by Dana. he got fined 50k. What more do you want to Dana to do? Spank him on the ass and send him to his room?

Regardless, like I said;
I personally don't much care for what fighters do at media events. I care what they do in the cage. So this just really isn't that big of a deal to me. I think news like this is what happens when you pay too much attention to somebody.

i agree all around....lol.....it is his job, so he should be there and its a bummer for the media folks who now have wasted time money and resources to make the scheduled event. However I also dont really care and it doesnt bother me, now if it were fight week pre fight presser or something like that, i may be more bothered....same goes for the diaz ordeal.

If it's in writing with your signature on it, then you do it. If you don't like it, fine. Life isn't always what you WANT to do. Not for anybody, even the 10 time defending UFC MW champ. I'm sure Dana doesn't WANT to have to fine Silva $50k either but guess what... that's his job.

Yeah he should have shown up and done it. No doubt about that. But he's being punished for it, so I don't get why this is such a big deal. If he would have not shown up and Dana just said "OK, we'll let it slide because it's Anderson Silva", then yeah, there's a huge problem there, and a damn good reason to be pissed. But I don't get what there is to be upset about here.
Crime + Punishment = Justice Served, end of story.........right? I guess not, if we're talking about Anderson Silva.

^^^
LOL!!!!!

If there was a visual of what this discussion looked like to me in my own mind, that would be it! And I would be the guy at the camera point-of-view going "All right now fellas, now that's enough now. Ya'll go back home and just sleep this one off. Ain't no need to nothin hasty now. Just let it alone fer now, dadnabbit. He done his time like he was s'posed to now. Ain't no need fer nothin else now."

Triggerman99 wrote:

Crime + Punishment = Justice Served, end of story.........right? I guess not, if we're talking about Anderson Silva.

So just because someone gets served, I don't have to think he's an asshole?
I wasn't responding to any of your comments by the way. Mostly the idiotic commnets made by the Silva nuthuggers.

stock wrote:

Triggerman99 wrote:

Crime + Punishment = Justice Served, end of story.........right? I guess not, if we're talking about Anderson Silva.

So just because someone gets served, I don't have to think he's an asshole?
I wasn't responding to any of your comments by the way. Mostly the idiotic commnets made by the Silva nuthuggers.

No, I wasn't responding to yours, either. You just happened to post as I was writing my post.

I won't tell anybody how to feel about somebody. That's not where I was coming from. My problem was with the perception that he is somehow getting away with something here, as though he wasn't being held accountable due to his fame or his clout or his status or whatever.

He is getting away with it in the vast majority of the fans heads. Yeah he paid his fine... but tons of people are upset about it. Stating things like

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If it comes down to it-you don't have to fight for your family anymore-you have everything you need. Dana White NEEDS you and NEEDS to appreciate what you have done for this sport and the amazing fighter you are.

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And what would have been the point of that? Who cares?
He wipes his ass with 50K.

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Fining Sliva is a horrible decision to do, if the champ chooses not to come to one freaking interview who cares you know he's fighting. If he was doing interviews and trying to get ready for his by fight and lost, then it would the big convo about how he should've been in the gym more.

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He does not feel that Weidman is worthy, therefore he does not want to help sell the fight and make Weidman extra bucks. Kind of how Jones was with Sonnen, don't draw attention to the fight. Anderson could wipe with $100 Dollar bills if he wanted and can get fined all he wants and I think losing a little money to keep Weidman from making more is his plan.

I mean these ridiculous fuckin quotes could go on for ever....

LOL!
That last one was completely absurd. So Silva despises Weidman so much that he will intentionally take a fine in order to make sure Weidman makes less money?
Wow.
Just wow.... Some people need hobbies. lol

As a champion with significant fan support all over the world he has an obligation to the fans, who pay his way, to meet obligations like this press conference. The presser is for the fans.

I think a lot of fighters forget that cause they have to put up with dumb ass unimaginative questions over and over again by reporters who would much rather see themselves in the headlines than the fighter ... or ask that "gotcha" question that embarrasses the fighter.

He didn't go ... got in trouble.. fined... there ya go.