Wanderlei Silva is in quite a peculiar position. He is neither an active UFC fighter, nor is he a licensed fighter given his lifetime ban in Nevada, yet the promotion seemingly refuses to part ways with him on account of the Brazilian's potential move to Bellator or another viable competitor.
The impasse that Wanderlei and the UFC reached together was an avoidable one, yet Silva's decision to flee from a drug test brought about his permanent inability to compete on North American soil. Since the UFC has no way to prove whether he will fight again or not, Wanderlei believes they are controlling his contract as though he was a "slave."
"The truth [is], I don't know if I'm gonna fight again or not," Silva told Submission Radio. "I think no. Today I'm not gonna fight, you know? And there's no reason for these guys [to be] holding my contract. He needs to just sign a paper and it's done, but he's not doing that and I'm surprised because this is disrespectful.
"I have all my history in this sport, you know? I have my name. Imagine what's gonna happen with the young guys who don't have a name and no expression. These guys [will] do what these guys want. This is bad, [because] what happened with me can happen can happen with any guy who signs the agreement."
Silva revealed that he has not spoken to UFC President Dana White regarding the contract dispute, yet added that he could not reach him even if he wanted to.
"No, these guys don't talk with me, you know? These guys don't talk with me. They don't say nothing, and this is so disrespectful, because like wanting them [NSAC] to make me retired. When happened all these things with the commission, these guys [UFC] didn't contact me and say "It's gonna happen this, it's gonna happen that". I saw what was happening on the news, on the Internet. This is so disrespectful and I don't wanna [be] working for these guys anymore."
He later released a tweet where he described himself as a "slave" to the UFC after he was barred from attending an autograph signing session for Bellator. According to Wanderlei, the UFC has basically denied him all potential avenues to make money.
"[Bellator] were gonna pay me money to sign some autographs, meet some guys; and I received one email and it said [that] If I will be there, these guys [UFC] are gonna sue me, gonna sue, gonna go to the lawyers, go to the judges. I can't work. That's the problem. This is why they made me like a slave. No, I can't work anymore. Well these guys won't pay me nothing, and I can't work in another place. That's the problem."