Fighter pay is one of those topics that will never go away in MMA. Every few months, the same problem resurfaces, fans start arguing online, and Dana White ends up in the thick of it all again. Some fighters believe the UFC should pay more, while others believe everyone understands what they’re signing up for, and the discussion never ever ends. This time, what made the discussion interesting was not the issue itself, but the person who chose to speak about it.

Anderson Silva has had ups and downs with the UFC over the years, so most people wouldn’t be surprised if he used the opportunity to talk trash about the promotion. But instead, he chose a different strategy. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the former middleweight champion kept it simple, stating that the worst error fighters make is acting surprised after signing a deal they have agreed to, which he believes should not happen if everything is handled properly before the contract is finalized.

“Well, it’s very hard to say something because when you sign a contract, when you see the deal, you sign the contract; you know the deal (you’re working for),” Anderson Silva said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Your lawyer and your manager, they have to explain for you where you sign it.

“And it’s very hard to say something bad about that situation or good about that situation, because every single one have your (own) problem.”

He also stated that he always tried to separate fighting from business, which helped him deal with problems in his own profession. Inside the cage, he concentrated on becoming a fighter. Outside the cage, he realized that the UFC is a business, and Dana White is running it the way he thinks is best, whether everyone agrees with him or not.

“Because everybody can say, ‘UFC don’t pay correctly the fighters and that and this,'” he added. “But when you sign, you can’t talk about that. When you sign the contract, when you agree with everything you have in the contract, you can’t say nothing, and it’s very hard.

“And Dana is Dana, you know, Dana is Dana, bro. It’s not personal; it’s business.”

What makes Anderson Silva’s comment stand out is that he didn’t always have a good relationship with the UFC CEO. The two had public disagreements, and there were fights where Dana White openly criticized him. Despite this history, ‘The Spider’ claims it has never impacted his perspective on the sport’s business side.

It’s also worth noting that the Brazilian was one of the fighters who profited from the UFC’s antitrust settlement, which came after years of complaints about pay and contracts. Despite that, he feels that responsibility begins with the fighter before the pen touches the paper.

His message didn’t seem angry or defensive. If anything, it came across as guidance from someone who has seen every side of the game. For Anderson Silva, the bout takes place inside the cage. Everything else — the contracts, the money, the talks — is just business, and if you agree to a deal, you have to stick with it. And you for sure cannot question the man, after all, he just refused a massive contract with Netflix, which wanted him to make an MMA return.

Anderson Silva claims he’s done with MMA

Anderson Silva’s earlier statement about separating fighting from business and accepting the terms you agree to explains why he seems to be entirely at ease about leaving MMA. Despite his extensive experience in the sport, he does not speak as if he has been wronged or pushed out. Instead, he sounds like someone who knows when a chapter is finished. For Silva, the question isn’t whether he can fight again, but whether he still wants to live the MMA lifestyle. Currently, he does not.

He confirmed that opportunities still exist, including a recent invitation to Most Valuable Promotions’ upcoming Netflix event, which led to speculation that he could return once more. But for now, his focus is somewhere else.

“Nakisa invited me to come, to fight MMA or kickboxing,” Silva told Ariel Helwani. “But because I’m in this process (of becoming a police officer) now to study, to keep my mind working on one thing, I just said, ‘Oh, I can’t this time.’

“But, when I finish the whole thing, probably I have one more or two more fights.”

However, he made sure that fans shouldn’t expect him to return to MMA for those last fights.

“Only boxing,” he added. “I don’t have the mind anymore to train in MMA. It’s too hard for me to go back to train in MMA.”

The full grind of mixed martial arts training is something he no longer has the mindset for. After competing in boxing numerous times after his UFC exit, including a knockout victory over Tyron Woodley, he knows he can still perform, but he no longer feels compelled to return to the sport where his legacy is already secure.