Light-heavyweight knockout artist Thiago Silva is back in the UFC after a handful of criminal charges against him were dropped by Broward County prosecutors in Florida last week.
In February, Silva was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm after being arrested at a Florida jiu-jitsu academy for allegedly threatening people with a gun. He was also charged with one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of resisting arrest without violence. Silva was originally charged with two counts of attempted felony murder, but a judge overturned the charges saying there was not enough evidence to support an attempted murder charge.
The UFC released Silva immediately when charges were laid and added him back to the roster when they were dropped.
“When this thing went down, I said he’d never fight in the UFC again. When I watched it unfold on TV and heard of the charges, it didn’t look good for Thiago Silva. But he was acquitted of all charges. How do you not let the guy fight again?” UFC president Dana White told UFC.com. “He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted. He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”
Silva (16-3) is hoping to return to the Octagon in January. The 31-year-old has fought just six times in the last five years due to his arrest, various injuries and two suspensions stemming from a pair of failed drug tests.
His last fight was a unanimous decision win over Matt Hamill on Oct. 9, 2013. The Brazilian also holds notable KO wins over Keith Jardine, Houston Alexander and former Strikeforce champion Rafael Cavalcante.
