Wanderlei Silva launches campaign for seat in Brazilian congress
Former PRIDE champion and current Bellator MMA star Wanderlei Silva is plunging into the world of politics. On Saturday, the Brazilian MMA legend posted to Instagram, announcing that he will run for a seat in the Brazilian congress as a federal deputy. Elections will be held in October.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmn_NZIgzuL/
“My fight is here now,” the graphic in Silva’s post reads (translation via MMA Fighting).
This announcement from Silva confirms comments he made in an interview with MMA Fighting last month. In this interview, the Brazilian discussed his plans to enter the political arena, and explained that a victory could mean the end of his MMA career. Meaning his Bellator 206 showdown with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson could be his final fight.
“I’m facing this as maybe it is my last fight,” Silva said of his rematch with Rampage. “I will run for federal deputy now. It’s a new career, a new time in my life. I’m seeing the need for it. There are guys being elected that have no business being there, a bunch of poor guys, dishonest guys that steal from the people. You have to put guys that have an ideal and already have money to live so they don’t need to steal from the people.
“I will do this fight and then I’ll run for congress and if I get elected, I’ll go one direction, and if I don’t get elected, I’ll go another one. But the intention is that maybe this is my last fight. … I think that being elected or not, maybe this is my last fight. I’ve done enough. But there are a lot of people coming back. I think that my performance will say if it’s my last one or not.”
What do you think the future holds for Wanderlei Silva? Do you think “The Axe Murderer” will be successful in politics?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/19/2018.
