FRIDAY NEWS DIGEST: Anderson Silva feels disrespected by UFC, Cyborg criticizes Rousey, Mousasi’s new strategy

By Jonathan Cervantes, MMATorch contributor

Anderson Silva (photo credit Jayne Kamin-Oncea © USA Today Sports)

ANDERSON SILVA UPSET WITH UFC COMMUNICATION

Former long time Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva is not pleased with how the UFC has treated him since UFC 200.

As reported by MMAJunkie, Silva confessed that he has felt disrespected since his short notice fight with Daniel Cormier. “I haven’t even received a ‘thank you’ from Dana, or Lorenzo after the last fight,” he said.

Silva also noted that he has yet to reach out to UFC either and that any contact they have had has been through liaisons. “They even offered me to be on standby in case something happened to (Michael) Bisping or (Dan) Henderson. But the most absurd thing is how it got to me. They didn’t even talk to me, my representatives passed it along.” he explained. “I will say it again, I’m very disappointed with the way they’ve been treating me. I’m very saddened by all of this.”

He also believes that after all he has done for the sport, he deserves to be treated better by the company he helped grow over the years. “Fact is that everything I’ve done, no one else was able to do again,” he said. “I don’t mean to be conceited, arrogant, I think I’m the best, but what I set out to do this entire time was to show I was different than the others. And this is not my opinion, it’s everyone’s.”

Silva is currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s official Middleweight Division rankings (and ninth MMATorch’s latest rankings) and has no upcoming bout scheduled.

Cervantes Analysis: Silva volunteered to fight on that card and it likely meant a pretty good payday for him as it was a pretty stacked event. Still, I can understand his frustration with feeling disrespected and it is perplexing that the UFC has only been communicating with him through representatives as opposed to directly. His frustration may also have been exacerbated by the way his fellow Brazilian Jose Aldo was passed up for a title shot when the UFC opted to give McGregor a chance to fight Alvarez for the title. I doubt we see Silva take as extreme a measure as Aldo to request a release, but I think the UFC should work to mend this relationship.

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…

-Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino told FS1’s Justin Whitlock she saw Ronda Rousey shadow boxing and that “the shadow won.”

-Gegard Mousasi told MMAJunkie he is no longer fighting for money and is now picking smarter fights to advance his career.

-The UFC announced that Mickey Gall will fight Sage Northcutt at UFC on Fox 22

-Will Brooks called Alex Oliveira a “scumbag” and claimed that Oliveira intentionally missed weight in an interview with Brett Okamoto from ESPN.

NOW CATCH UP ON YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: THURSDAY NEWS DIGEST: Samman cause of death, event cancelled due to Penn injury, Jones, Rousey, Diaz, Mickey Gall, Russian kids MMA


(Jonathan Cervantes has been an avid fan of MMA since 2009 when he saw GSP vs. B.J. Penn 2. He has practiced tae kwon do, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling in the past and is currently a student majoring in entrepreneurship at the University of San Francisco. He writes the MMATorch News Digest on Fridays and Saturdays. Michael Hiscoe writes MMATorch News Digests Sunday through Thursday each week.)

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