UFC champion Anderson Silva takes a $50,000 trip to Brazil

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was supposed to meet with several media outlets — including a luncheon with the Daily News and other newspapers and websites — on Tuesday as part of a promotional blitz for his title defense against Chris Weidman at UFC 162.

But emails went out late Tuesday afternoon that all media events with the king of the 185-pound division were being canceled.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, he is flying home to Brazil a couple days early and will miss tomorrow’s UFC 162 press tour,” the email read.

Now news comes via the USA Today Sports that the UFC doesn’t take kindly to their stars skipping out on publicity events. And Silva’s trip to Brazil has been met with a stiff $50,000 fine by the UFC.

“We had a full media day set up for him in Los Angeles, and he just decided he didn’t want to do it, so he’s being fined $50,000,” UFC President Dana White told USA Today Sports’ John Morgan.

Silva, who has successfully defended his belt a UFC-record 10 times and is considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, takes on No. 1 contender Weidman (9-0) as the main event at UFC 162, which takes place July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

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