Attorney: Following public apology, Wanderlei Silva released from UFC contract

Wanderlei Silva

The UFC on Wednesday released Wanderlei Silva from his contract with the industry-leader, freeing him to fight for other promoters, the fighter’s longtime attorney today told MMAjunkie.

Silva issued a public apology today on his official Facebook page, retracting a fight-fixing allegation toward the UFC that prompted a lawsuit.

“I failed to understand that the term ‘fight-fixing’ specifically refers to the illegal action or practice of dishonestly determining the outcome of a contest before it occurs,” read his statement. “I understand the UFC’s reputation would be harmed if my fans and others actually believed the UFC engaged in fight fixing, and I have no evidence to support such a claim. I apologize for any misunderstanding my comments may have caused.”

Ross Goodman, the Las Vegas-based attorney who’s repped Silva (35-12-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) against the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said the UFC’s lawsuit against the fighter will now be dismissed.

“The UFC has released Wanderlei from any and all obligations or rights to Zuffa, which obviously now allows him to do whatever he wants,” Goodman told MMAjunkie.

A UFC official declined to comment on the matter, but said a statement is forthcoming from the promotion.

Silva was effectively held in career limbo because he was under contract with the UFC while in dispute with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which issued him a lifetime ban after he evaded an out-of-competition drug test in connection with UFC 175.

Via Goodman, Silva, who later admitted to taking a banned diuretic prior to the event, fought the commission’s ruling and this past summer won a victory in Nevada district court, where a judge overturned the lifetime ban and ordered the NSAC to re-hear the fighter.

Since then, however, Silva’s case has repeatedly been delayed by the commission. On Tuesday, the commission delayed the re-hearing a fourth time, claiming a personnel shift in commission attorneys forced another delay. NSAC chair Anthony Marnell promised Goodman that Silva’s case would be heard next month.

Goodman today said the NSAC’s decision ultimately is irrelevant, as he plans to take Silva’s case to the Nevada Supreme Court. He argues the commission overstepped its bounds when they tested Silva, who at the time of his NSAC drug test was not licensed by the commission.

Silva, 39, retired after the lifetime ban.

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