UFC
Thiago Silva not cleared to compete at WSOF 22, Clifford Starks steps in against Mike Kyle
Jul 28, 2015 - 12:50:54 PM Thiago Silva not cleared to compete at WSOF 22, Clifford Starks steps in against Mike Kyle

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

There's been a change to Saturday's WSOF 22 event, as Thiago Silva's been pulled from a bout against Mike Kyle.

The WSOF announced on Tuesday that Silva's been deemed ineligible to compete due to an outstanding suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission, and he'll need to appear before the commission before he fights again. In his place steps another UFC vet in Clifford Starks, who makes his second appearance in the WSOF cage.

"We hope that Thiago will take the steps necessary to be in compliance with the state athletic commission so that he can make a quick return to action," said WSOF President Ray Sefo. "In the meantime, we appreciate Clifford Starks' willingness to take the fight against Mike Kyle on just a few days' notice, and look forward to having him compete for us again after putting on a great show in the WSOF cage in March."

This is the third opponent scheduled to meet Kyle on this card, as he was originally scheduled to face Tyrone Spong before an injury brought Silva into the fight.

Saturday's event airs live on NBCSN starting at 11PM ET, headlined by a Welterweight Championship bout between Rousimar Palhares and Jake Shields.

Penick's Analysis: I'm not sure what the suspension is exactly, because Silva was cleared to fight in Arizona earlier this year for the WSOF, and has fought five times since his last bout in Nevada in 2011 where he failed a drug test. He shouldn't be featured by the WSOF anyway given his domestic violence issues, so perhaps it's a little karma to get him removed from this event.