Paulo Filho out, Jay Silva in against Hector Lombard at Bellator 18

[Discipline]

http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/thumbnail_crop/600/_images/pictures/20090915033949_IMG_5280.JPG


Another opportunity has passed by former World Extreme Cagefighting champion and one-time highly ranked middleweight Paulo Filho.

Although Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney this past week spoke with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and denied reports of Filho's scratch from Thursday's Bellator 18 event and said last-minute plans could salvage the fight, the efforts came up short.

MMAjunkie.com has confirmed with multiple sources, including Rebney, that former UFC fighter Jay Silva (5-3 MMA, 0-0 BFC) replaced Filho (18-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) and meets Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard (24-2-1 MMA, 3-0 BFC) in the event's non-title headliner.

Josh Gross of SI.com first reported the replacement via Twitter.

Bellator 18 takes place May 13 at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, La., and airs live on FOX Sports Net.

Last week Rebney said Bellator officials had spoken with "all the appropriate people and we've got everything in line," but he said a Plan B was put in place for Filho, who's dealt with depression and chemical-dependency issues that resulted in him pulling out of some recent high-profile fights.

"We've backed ourselves up; we've done everything we needed to do in protecting the sanctity of that event, but my hope is that he shows up," Rebney said. "I think Hector Lombard deserves this fight."

Rebney today said the efforts came up short.

"We worked very hard for two months to make this work and were unable to," he said. "I have a lot of respect for Paulo as a fighter and wish him well."

Despite his recent troubles, Filho owns a three-fight win streak and would have provided the fast-rising Lombard one of his biggest-name opponents yet. Instead, he now meets Silva, who brings to the bout some big-stage experience but not nearly the notoriety.

Silva, a Renzo Gracie Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt, signed with the UFC in 2009 after posting a 5-1 career record. However, after back-to-back decision losses to C.B. Dollaway and Chris Leben, the Brazilian received his UFC walking papers.

As with Bellator's other season-one tournament winners/current champions, Lombrd is fighting in his season-two "super fight" while a No. 1 contender is determined by a followup eight-man tournament. Silva could notch a significant victory and spoil Bellator's plans with a win.

link: http://mmajunkie.com/news/19090/jay-silva-replaces-paulo-filho-in-bellator-18-super-fight-with-hector-lombard.mma

[Misfit]

Nice ink but I hate it when they do "non-title" fights. Isn't Lombard their champ?? SF did the same thing with Mousasi I think, I just hate it.

[Drock]

Jay Silva Is A Massive Step Down, O Well Hector Lombard Will Destroy Him.

[Discipline]

anyone surprised here?

[Drock]

anyone surprised here?
You Never Know It Could Be Bellators Fault.................

[Misfit]

With Fihlo, I doubt it. Sadly, the dude is a train wreck that just keeps wrecking. It's sad to see but we all keep looking :D

[Discipline]

You Never Know It Could Be Bellators Fault.................

highly unlikely with this guy. loaded with drama.

[Discipline]

With Fihlo, I doubt it. Sadly, the dude is a train wreck that just keeps wrecking. It's sad to see but we all keep looking :D

hell we keep looking bc they keep throwing him in our faces then snatching him off cards for whatever reasons

[Discipline]

Paulo Filho is out of the “super fight” against Hector Lombard on Bellator 18, event that happens on this Thursday (13) on the United States. According to Josh Gross, the former WEC middleweight champion will be replaced by Jay Silva, who was recently fired from UFC. This is the third time Filho cancels his participation on event on the eve of the show. Last October, the black belt announced he was out of Dream 12, where we would face Dong Sik Yoon, three days before the event, and gave in his place for Thales Leites and on the week of Bitetti Combat 6, which happened last February.

In interview to TATAME.com, Paulo gave his version of the cancelation of his participation on Bellator. “Honestly, I don’t know. I think maybe people knew I was in a good shape, strong, so they got scared… In fact, I’ve been informed it was a mistake of the event, which didn’t gave me the letter so I could take it to the council. Things were left to be solved at the last minute, unfortunately I won’t fight”, said Filho. With the third absence in last than a year, the image of the athlete keeps getting tarnished internationally.

“My biggest concern is that people start to think that my absences are because of other things better than from what it actually is… I didn’t fight on Bitetti Combat for reasons between me and the organization and it came out on Sherdog that I was doing drugs and medicines once again. I fear that people actually believes that… I was training hard, working on my boxing with Distak, conditioning, running on the beach, doing Jiu-Jitsu… It was everything going pretty good, but there’s always something to get in the way”, regrets the fighter.



Despite the cancellation of the fight, Paulo reveals he hopes to go back to the rings in July, and also that we has three scheduled fights in Australia. “My fight schedule is full, three fights within 20 days on July. The first is on the 3rd, the second on the 10th and against a guy who has fought with (José) Pelé, and the third I think is between Marvin Eastman or Denis Kang, on 18th”, reveals the black belt, who has not looked for information around the need of a visa to get into Australia yet. “There is enough time left, but I believe that all the bureaucracy is for the best… To get into America is pretty hard”.



who freakin knows with this guy......:crazy:

[Misfit]

I think this is the 2nd time he pulled the "visa issues" card. This guy has fought in the states plenty of times, he should understand how it all works now.

[Discipline]

and he does. he is just plain crazy.