By Norm Frauenheim–
GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Arizona State Boxing & MMA Commission scheduled a meeting for late Thursday in the wake of conflicting reports about whether Anderson Silva was knocked out in training for his scheduled fight Saturday against Jake Paul.
The Commission scheduled the meeting Wednesday after news of the controversy broke during a public workout featuring both Silva and Paul on a pavilion outside of Desert Diamond Arena, site of the Showtime pay-per-view bout.
The meeting was announced by Commission Executive Director Danny A. Vella in a letter signed and posted on the Commission’s web site. It is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm PT/9:30 pm ET.
The executive director is prohibited from commenting on the regulatory agency’s business. Comments to the media are handled by a public information officer assigned by the state’s Department of Gaming.
Silva, a UFC legend, is 47 years-old. His age means he is subject to additional vigilance by Arizona. Fighters older than 36 are required to disclose the last time they’ve been knocked out.
Silva, a Brazilian whose native language is Portuguese, denied in a statement Wednesday that he had been knocked out at all. He was quoted in MMA Weekly as saying he had been knocked out twice.
“After seeing the reports and concern for me, I’d like to clarify two important things,’’ Silva said in the statement, “One, I was NEVER knocked out in sparring. I misspoke in that interview as I sometimes do when interviewing in English and exaggerated the normal back-and-forth action that occurs in sparring.
“Second, this sparring session I referenced was in early September. The interview with MMA Weekly was done on Sept. 13 and, for some reason, just released this week. So, it wasn’t recent.”