Anderson Silva posts cryptic message after declaring himself out of UFC 212

After saying he’s out of UFC 212, former UFC kingpin Anderson Silva took to social media to talk about imposing limits.

Silva (34-8 MMA, 17-4 UFC) was originally scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in the promotion’s return to Rio de Janeiro on June 3, but was left without an opponent after Gastelum got pulled from the card due to a failed anti-doping test. While a few names were mentioned as possible substitutes, an alternative matchup failed to materialize.

On Sunday, Silva said during a live Instagram stream (via UOL) that he was packing up his camp and apologized to the fans for not being able to fight in Brazil. Today, he posted a cryptic message, with versions in English and Portuguese, talking about the virtues of saying no.

“To say yes when you want to say no is to give more value to others than to ourselves,” Silva’s message read. “It is not to put your value in the right place, it is to impose no limits, and that is not to respect yourself.” (via Instagram)

To say yes when you want to say no is to give more value to others than to ourselves, it is not to put your value in the right place, it is to impose no limits, and that is not to respect yourself .. It is the same as saying that what we feel Is not worth anything, that others can pass over you at will. And they pass, if you permit it, they will pass without mercy, forgetting all that you have conquered through honor and dedication. If we allow it will destroy our values. This is the way to say no. When I do not want something, I simply say no. With no anger or emotion. It is not just a negative. It's our limit. A right that we have to decide what we want or do not do. It is a way to make people respect our value, this is the name of dignity. When we put ourselves sincerely, saying what we feel, we are respected. People like it or not. So if you know your worth, do not let anything destroy it nothing and no one. If you take a $100 and knead it, step on it, throw it on the floor and then dismantle, pick it up, ask someone how much it's worth, smart people will respond that the note is worth $ 100, so no matter how much they step on you, How much they will knead you, your worth no one can change. . Thank you, my people. Kiss in the heart ???????????? . Anterior em português.

A post shared by Anderson "The Spider" Silva (@spiderandersonsilva) on May 9, 2017 at 6:17am PDT

The English version of Silva’s post  can be read here:

“To say yes when you want to say no is to give more value to others than to ourselves, it is not to put your value in the right place, it is to impose no limits, and that is not to respect yourself. It is the same as saying that what we feel Is not worth anything, that others can pass over you at will. And they pass, if you permit it, they will pass without mercy, forgetting all that you have conquered through honor and dedication. If we allow it will destroy our values. This is the way to say no. When I do not want something, I simply say no. With no anger or emotion. It is not just a negative. It’s our limit. A right that we have to decide what we want or do not do. It is a way to make people respect our value, this is the name of dignity. When we put ourselves sincerely, saying what we feel, we are respected. People like it or not. So if you know your worth, do not let anything destroy it nothing and no one. If you take a $100 and knead it, step on it, throw it on the floor and then dismantle, pick it up, ask someone how much it’s worth, smart people will respond that the note is worth $ 100, so no matter how much they step on you, How much they will knead you, your worth no one can change.”

The UFC has yet to make any official announcements about Silva’s departure from the card, and he remains listed on the official UFC 212 event page.

Silva’s relationship with the UFC seems to have been rocked throughout the ordeal. During a recent appearance on “The MMA Hour,” the ex-champ was clear about his feelings on the situation and even threatened to retire in case he wasn’t given an interim title fight against Yoel Romero in Rio.

UFC President Dana White has since responded, encouraging the ex-champ to retire if that is a thought that is indeed on his mind.

Gastelum tested positive for marijuana metabolites in an in-competition sample stemming from his UFC Fight Night 106 headliner against Vitor Belfort in March. As a result, the Brazilian Superior Justice Court of MMA (STJDMMA) issued Gastelum a 90-day suspension, a 20 percent fine of his purse, and had his TKO win over Belfort overturned into a no-contest.

While he accepted the punishment, Gastelum said he’s never fighting in Brazil again due to his dissatisfaction with the handling of the case. He has also expressed his desire to keep the matchup against Silva – this time, at July 22’s UFC on FOX 25 event on Long Island, N.Y.

For more on UFC 212, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.