Veteran Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Thiago Silva was tasered and arrested Thursday after a police standoff. He was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and obstruction,
the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
Authorities said the incident was part of an ongoing dispute between the Brazilian fighter and his estranged wife.
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The Broward Sheriff’s Office originally charged Silva with two counts of attempted murder, but Judge John "Jay" Hurley bumped the charges down to aggravated assault after a request from Silva's attorney Scott Saul during his initial court appearance Friday.
Thaysa Silva was granted a restraining order against Thiago Silva on Jan. 30. The couple has been married for 13 years but continued living together at their Oakland Park, Fla., home after they separated in late 2012.
Authorities said that on Thursday evening Thiago Silva threatened his wife and her boyfriend Pablo Popovitch at gunpoint outside of the Popovitch Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Center. Thaysa Silva told police she believed her husband was intoxicated and demanded that Popovitch come outside or he would "go into the gym and start shooting everyone," according to the Sun-Sentinel.
After the confrontation, Thiago Silva reportedly drove to the couple's home and gave the officers an obscene gesture before barricading himself in the house.
After a SWAT team arrived, Silva came out three hours later and was tasered "for officer safety reasons" and arrested.
In the meantime the Ultimate Fighting Championship cut ties with Silva Friday,
according to a statement issued to the blog MMA Junkie.
"The Ultimate Fighting Championship has terminated the contract of Thiago Silva, effective immediately," the statement read.
Silva was scheduled to fight in March's UFC 171 in Dallas. Silva, who had fought on the UFC circuit since 2007, is 16-3. He was slated to fight Ovince St. Preux during the Dallas event.
In his last fight, Silva won a unanimous decision against Matt Hamill during the UFC Fight Night bout on Oct. 9.
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