Former PRIDE Middleweight Champion and the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Champion have announced his retirement from the MMA.

Silva last went inside the octagon more than a year ago and since then he has been involved with a controversy with the Nevada Athletic Commission. His last fight ended with an epic second-round knockout victory over Brian Stann and he ends his MMA career with a professional record of 35-12-1 with one no-contest.

He posted his enouncement via YouTube for all his fans to see.

According to him "I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei Silva will not fight again. My career is over. Because I don't have a stage to perform, where the athletes get the proper respect. For these reasons, I have had enough."

He continued "They tried to turn my fans against me. My fans, who have followed me for 20 years, before this promotion even existed I was already fighting in Brazil. I have fought bare-knuckle and I helped building this sport. Everything you see today, I helped build with my sweat and blood."

Silva recounted how he started as a mixed martial arts fighter and how it became an important part of his life. He said "For me, to be a fighter, has been an incredible experience. The first time I stepped into a ring, I was nobody. A few moments later the crowd was cheering for me. That was an incredible experience. That was a feeling I had never felt in my life. After that day I knew, that was my path and what I loved to do. So I embraced it with all my will and I knew that was what I wanted for my life."

He was recently scheduled to face off with Chael Sonnen, but he skipped out on his pre-fight drug test. Silva was scheduled to be back in front of the NSAC on September 23 in an attempt to get his charges dismissed.

Many will be missing Silva inside the octagon as he has been considered as one the best athletes in MMA. But who knows, in the future, he will have second thoughts and fight once more.