Paulo Filho Released From WEC, Unlikely to Fight in UFC

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 12:30 PM EST Comment 46 comments

Fronted by Luke Thomas.

In the November 17th edition of the Wrestling Observer there is strong indication that (former) top 10 middleweight Paulo Filho has been released from his Zuffa contract and will most likely not be heading to the UFC any time soon, if at all.

FiveOuncesofPain.com has the wrap up:

“Not only will Paulo Filho's middleweight championship be forgotten, but Filho himself will be after his performance on the show, as it’s all but a lock that Filho won’t be moved to UFC,” one excerpt states.

“There is zero criticism I’ve seen of (Zuffa) cutting Paulo Filho, who was 16-0 coming into his fight (vs. Chael Sonnen) but his cut wasn’t over money but that the person who was in that cage has no business fighting at this time,” writes Observer publisher Dave Meltzer

WEC 36 was the last event to feature middleweights and WEC 37 will be the last event to feature light heavyweights as it was announced earlier this year that the WEC would now be focusing on the lighter weight classes. It was all but assumed that the (former) top 10 fighter and former WEC MW champion, Paulo Filho, as well as many other top prospects would be on their way to the UFC. Now though, the only place Filho is heading to is most likely a mental help facility what with the bizarre display shown in his last fight.

The good news is that Filho may very well fight in the UFC one day when he gets his mind in the right place. It's just now is not that time.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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I think his career is over. He will fade into oblivion. That is one unstable dude.

by lbk on Nov 18, 2008 12:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The WEC already got rid of their middleweight and light heavy divisions. The last event was their curtain call, so its not accurate to say “they have plans”. If you change that in the article I’ll front this to the main page.

by Luke Thomas on Nov 18, 2008 12:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I said ‘they had plans to’ because the shutdown of the division isn’t official until 1/1/09. But I can see why it already went into place. WEC 37 has no fight above welterweight.

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 12:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

isnt....

Ricardo Barros vs. Mark Munoz at 205?

by woooburn on Nov 18, 2008 1:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yup hahaha. 37 is the last we see of the higher weight classes.

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Nov 18, 2008 10:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope the best for the guy. He obviously has some demons to overcome, and I think it won’t be easy for him. I hope he has a stable support system to get him through it, and it would be nice to see him back some day – all healed up nicely, and back to doing what he loves.

by mythbuster on Nov 18, 2008 12:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think there’s more to this. If he’s not in any condition to fight, he won’t be seeing a check anyway (no fight=no pay). He’ll probably sort something out with Zuffa on the basis that he’ll get his life back on track..

by Blackout612 on Nov 18, 2008 1:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

They can’t withhold his pay because they didn’t like the way he fought. He showed up, and thats all it takes to get the show portion of the pay.

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 1:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait, what?

I’m saying that this is just their way of saying “We aren’t booking you until you get your shit straight” so they aren’t giving him a deal.

by Blackout612 on Nov 18, 2008 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

what? Wait,

I read it wrong.

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

by Nick Thomas on Nov 18, 2008 1:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sonnen jumping back in that seems to support his statements about being so thrown off by Filho’s actions he had no idea what he was going to do. Someone that out of it might not even follow the rules of the sport. If he is so out of it he can’t tell the fight was over, who is to say he wouldn’t have ignored the ref breaking a sub hold after Sonnen tapped assuming he managed to grab hold of an arm or leg. That seems a good reason for Sonnen being so cautious.

by iiowyn on Nov 18, 2008 2:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i'm pretty sure...

… there was a post-fight statement made, either by someone would examined him, or someone from his camp that was present for an exam (i wanna say ed soares) that one of his pupils was irregularly dilated. if you watch that clip assuming he could only see properly out of one eye, then it makes more sense. he doesnt see sonnen trying to touch gloves until he turns his “good” eye towards him. i know from personal experience that walking around for even five minutes with just one of my contacts in, will throw me way off. still doesnt mean the guy is the right head space to be fighting in a cage, but i think the frank mir “he’s talking to jesus” explanation was a bit dramatic (go figure).

by woooburn on Nov 18, 2008 3:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That would make sense, if either eye was looking. But both his eyes were looking at something somewhere else. Watch when Sonnen puts his hand up first, Filho’s not even looking at him. A very strange fight.

by mythbuster on Nov 18, 2008 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Irregular pupil dialation is a sign of potential brain injury or a stroke not a vision problem and what Mir was refering to was the fact that Filho was apparently talking to people who weren’t there during the fight.

Ed Soares statement:

He was incoherent, delirious and during his post-fight examination he had one pupil dilated much larger than the other, prompting doctors to order him to a local hospital.
http://mmamania.com/2008/11/08/manager-paulo-filho-to-send-chael-sonnen-wec-belt/

by who me on Nov 18, 2008 4:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, i totally agree that there is more to the situation than simply blurred vision… i was just saying that might have been PARTLY responsible for his behavior.

thanks for tracking down that quote!

by woooburn on Nov 18, 2008 4:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The guy was delirious and babbling after the event, I don’t know if it would be worse if they found drugs in his system or if they didn’t. Either way the guy had a serious meltdown in the middle of a fight.

by who me on Nov 18, 2008 4:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think there was much choice here except to cut him. The guy obviously hasn’t recovered from his personal problems and they can’t risk him getting hurt in the cage because he’s such a mess. Hopefully he gets his life in order but he is in no shape to be fighting.

by who me on Nov 18, 2008 1:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is probably for the best. Filho looked so bad last fight, the last thing he needs is to be in the glaring spotlight of the UFC. Hopefully he can take some time to himself to get his life back in order and work his way up if he is still interested in fighting. I wish him luck.

by Andy R on Nov 18, 2008 2:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I have seen athletes do far worse things and not catch so much hate from fans. I personally, have been very critical of him, but in retrospect, I think it should be aimed towards his professionalism.

Paulo obviously has some serious issues to overcome. I am very worried about his mental state and this is the type of behavior I would expect from someone very close to the edge. I for one, hope the best for him and his future. I hope he can overcome his addictions and find a productive way of life, whether or not it includes bjj/mma.

I do think this is a good move for him. To many times we see guys get coddled and never wake up from their stupors. I hope this is the wake up call he needs.

Best wishes to Filho and I do hope we see him in the octagon sooner rather than later.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Nov 18, 2008 2:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

note: I meant the hate from fans in general, not just BE fans or posters here.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Nov 18, 2008 2:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you. I don’t have any problems with the guy. At first the weigh in fiasco really pissed me off but its pretty clear that its all tied to whatever demons hes currently dealing with. I hope he gets the help he needs.

by Day Man on Nov 18, 2008 3:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope the best for him but that last fight he was a shadow of himself and obviously still battling a lot of demons.
I’m sure if he cleans himself up and gets the help he needs that Zuffa will accept him with open arms, right now he has more important things to think about than fighting IMO.

by pr0cs on Nov 18, 2008 2:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I was actually very disturbed watching that fight. I’m not sure what was wrong with him, but he needs help and quick.

by EnsignFrog on Nov 18, 2008 3:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The Filho of old would have ripped Sonnens arm off this last fight. Sonnen is a huge joke. Couldn’t even finish Filho and made no attempt to either. If Sonnen gets a ticket to the UFC that would be a joke.

by lbk on Nov 18, 2008 3:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

You know who else would have done well against Fihlo?

Old Vitor

Sonnen couldn’t finish Fihlo because he was too confused as to what was going on. He was so confused as to what Fihlo was doing that he had no clue on how to handle the fight. Plus I think Chael had to be thinking ’I’m fighting a handicapped person’. And who really wants to KO a handicapped guy? It doesn’t prove anything, even if it’s a former top 10 MW.

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't buy that. At all.

by lbk on Nov 18, 2008 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Watch Sonnen jump away from Filho in the gif earlier. You do not screw with a crazy person who still has the ability to mangle your joints.

by iiowyn on Nov 18, 2008 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think you're right

Not that I’m Mr. fighter, but I can’t imagine trying to fight a guy who keeps looking off in the distance, and acting as bizarre as Filho did. It must be very disconcerting.

That’s not a free pass for Sonnen, but it would definitely explain why he seemed so hesitant.

by mythbuster on Nov 18, 2008 3:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it is a complete pass for Sonnen,

imagine someone telling you to jump in the ring & beat on someone who was mentally challenged or something which is basically what Filho was. It is sad to see & hopefully he can overcome his demons & if he chooses to return to MMA, do well.

by dnevil001 on Nov 18, 2008 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

um..he was fighting the first 2 1/3 rounds. He went wierdo the last 60 seconds of the fight..

I can understand Sonnens demeanor the last few seconds against him, but the first 2 rounds, he did not try and finish Filho.

by lbk on Nov 18, 2008 4:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If I recall correctly Fihlo was fighting like shit the whole fight. The 3rd round is where things started getting beyond a shitty performance into the weird side and thats where he started looking off into the distance and talking to other people. I do recall an instance early on in the fight where Fihlo was desperately trying to pull guard. It was a sad sight to see…

Thats no excuse for Sonnen though. Maybe his game plan was to wear out Fihlo or something. We just don’t know.

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 5:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wasn’t almost the entire first round Filho on his back, and Sonnen kicking his legs?

by mythbuster on Nov 18, 2008 5:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

to my recollection, yes.

by Discman2 on Nov 18, 2008 5:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sonnen stated that he’d never expected Filho to not fight back and it threw him off his game. Whatever Sonnen’s gameplan was it apparently went out the window with the way Filho was acting in the fight.

by who me on Nov 18, 2008 7:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My opinion......

I totally understand that Filho needs some help, but to release him and then looking at Rampage fighting next month doesn’t sit right with me. I know each situation is different, but I’m not cool with it.

by JVelez on Nov 18, 2008 3:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

How are those situations comparable?

Rampage will be in the octagon, in shape, at weight and ready to go. He’s taken measures to improve his livelihood. Filho has not exhibited the same determination, as evidenced by that fight (being that it was previously reported that he was doing so much better and then he showed up like that).

If Rampage drives his monster truck into a casino after the Wanderlei fight, you are free to revisit this topic.

by Blackout612 on Nov 18, 2008 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

way different dude

Did you see Fihlo in the ring? I have no doubt that if Rampage acted like that during a fight, he might get cut too.

Read My Blog
"Life's tough, tougher if you're stupid."

by Brandon Jones on Nov 18, 2008 3:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The WEC supported Filho when he went into drug rehab. They postponed matches and waited till his people said he was better. If anything Paulo Filho got a lot better treatment from Zuffa than a lot of other fighters do (just ask Fabricio Werdum), I’m sure if Rampage has another meltdown(particularly in the middle of a event) he will get released too.

by who me on Nov 18, 2008 4:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Say what you will about Rampage, at least so far he’s kept the crazy out of the ring.

by toxic on Nov 18, 2008 3:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think that's debatable.

by lbk on Nov 18, 2008 4:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Please do

by Blackout612 on Nov 18, 2008 4:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He hasn't fought since the crazy overwhelmed

So we’ll see.

Then again, pre-crazy Rampage got KTFO by Wanderlei twice, so maybe a change was due.

by subo on Nov 18, 2008 5:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This may be just

a way to get some pressure off Filho until he can get his shit straight. I am certain that the UFC would not just straight cut someone of his skill level with no way back in.

by dnevil001 on Nov 18, 2008 4:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

the junkie has an interesting interview with ed soares up, that mentions filho already exploring fighting for other promotions:

http://mmajunkie.com/news/13284/paulo-filho-weighs-options-after-wecufc-release-espn-deportes-next.mma

filho is a grown man, who no doubt makes his own decisions, but this seems somewhat irresponsible on soares’s part. i would think as a manager (and a friend) he’d should more concerned with getting him well, than getting him paid.

by woooburn on Nov 19, 2008 9:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely, I agree

I thought the same thing. I had hoped he had a good support system to help him through these rough times, if this is correct than it seems he doesn’t. And trying to put him on a reality show… incredible.

Nice find, woooburn.

by mythbuster on Nov 19, 2008 9:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs