'The Axe Murderer' comes out of retirement: Wanderlei Silva signs with Bellator

Scott Coker and Wanderlei Silva

The next phase of the career of MMA legend Wanderlei Silva began today with the announcement that “The Axe Murderer” has signed with Bellator.

The 39-year-old Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC), the promotion today announced, has signed an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year deal. The signing appeared to be an inevitability after Bellator President Scott Coker said recently that the promotion was having serious talks with the former UFC standout and PRIDE champion about coming out of retirement.

But Silva’s first fight with the company may be a ways off. In February, the Nevada State Athletic Commission voted to suspend Silva for three years following a re-hearing on a lifetime ban issued about a year and a half ago.

The NSAC banned Silva and fined him $70,000 for evading a drug test in connection with a proposed fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 175. Silva’s new three-year suspension is retroactive to the date of that original incident, May 24, 2014, meaning he is eligible to apply for a license on May 25, 2017. He is also required to provide a clean drug test upon applying for a new license.

While not a hard and fast rule, athletic commissions in the United States typical adhere to the suspensions handed down by other commissions.

In January, Bellator President Scott Coker said he was interested in signing Silva (35-12-1) to fight for the promotion, and that he had plans to meet with him to discuss a deal.

“Not every free agent is a fit over here, but Wanderlei is someone we would like to have a serious discussion with,” Coker told MMAjunkie Radio. “… We’ll have some dialogue.”

Silva became eligible to sign with Bellator when he was released from his UFC contract in January following a highly tumultuous bit of behind-the-scenes drama with the promotion in the years following his final fight in March 2013, a knockout win over Brian Stann.

After that, Silva coached “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” opposite Chael Sonnen and was expected to fight him at UFC 175 in July 2014. But both fighters had pre-fight drug-testing issues, and as a result the Nevada State Athletic Commission handed Silva a lifetime suspension from MMA competition. Silva took the NSAC to court, and a re-hearing of his case is expected next month.

Following the suspension, Silva announced his retirement from the sport and began to feud with UFC officials, mostly via rambling video posts. The Brazilian accused the world’s leading promotion of fixing fights, a statement that prompted the UFC to file a lawsuit.

The most recent chapter of the Silva-UFC saga saw Silva recant the fight-fixing accusations, and shortly thereafter, the two sides officially parted ways. With Silva contractually free to sign anywhere, Coker said he intended to pursue one of the most popular and successful fighters in the sport’s history. The first step was inking him to the Bellator Fan Fest appearance, and now the rest has come to fruition.

In a release, Bellator said it is not yet known if Silva will compete at middleweight, light heavyweight, or even heavyweight for the promotion. Silva is the latest highly regarded fighters to sign with the promotion, including former UFC fighters like Benson Henderson, Phil Davis, Josh Koscheck and Josh Thomson.

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.