Former UFC fighter Thiago Silva has stepped up on short notice to face James McSweeney at next month’s KSW 45 card in London, England.
An injury to Poland’s Michal Adryszak has caused a bit of a shake-up for the KSW 45 card. Though the fight was only recently announced, Adryszak is out of his bout against James McSweeney. Instead, Thiago Silva, noted for his time in the UFC and accusations of violence outside the cage, will step into the heavyweight affair. KSW announced the switch in a press release early Monday.
Silva (20–7 (2)) fought twelve times for the UFC between 2007 and 2013. Despite being on a two fight win streak in 2013, however, he made the dubious choice to assault his estranged wife by forcing a gun in her mouth, and threatened a gym owner with whom she’d had a relationship. The UFC cut Silva, then re-signed him when charges were dropped, then cut him again when video of him brandishing a firearm was released by his wife.
In other words, a model citizen. Dodging jail time because his wife opted to leave the country out of fear rather than pursue charges, Silva’s MMA career continued, outside the UFC. He’d lose his next two fights, however, including a bout in the WSOF. He’s turned things around of late, at least in the cage, going 4-2 in his last six fights. However, he’ll enter KSW 45 off a loss to Mikhail Kolobegov at ACB 82.
McSweeney (15-16) will be competing for the second time this year at KSW 45. He dropped a decision in May to Fernando Rodrigues Jr. at Superior Challenge 17.
KSW 45 takes place at The SSE Arena, Wembley on October 6. A heavyweight title fight between Phil De Fries and Karol Bedorf headlines the event. A welterweight title fight is also part of the card.
