Anderson Silva Says He Didn't Know About Media Obligation That Cost Him $50K

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva fell victim to the promotion's new fighter code of conduct on Monday when he was fined $50,000 for failing to appear at a media commitment in Los Angeles, according to USA Today.

Silva became the second fighter in recent weeks to find his wallet a little bit lighter after committing an infraction as determined by the UFC.

Heavyweight fighter Matt Mitrione faced a penalty as well (although no monetary figure was given) for his controversial comments surrounding transgender fighter Fallon Fox a few weeks ago.

Silva was assessed the $50,000 fee after he missed a media commitment on Monday, but according to the middleweight champion, he had no idea he was even supposed to be in Los Angeles.

"I never missed any commitment with the UFC. I would never book a trip to Brazil if I knew I should be in Los Angeles," Silva explained when speaking to Vega.com in Brazil on Tuesday.

Silva was fined after missing the event in Los Angeles, where he was supposed to promote his UFC 162 fight against Chris Weidman. 

The UFC's reigning middleweight champion has had some ups and downs with the media in the past, sometimes offering very little in terms of responses when questions have been asked.  Regardless of how animated he was or wasn't about an interview, Silva has always complied with any press commitments he's made during his time with the UFC.

His no-show on Monday, whether on purpose or by accident, will still cost him $50,000.

"Everybody knows that I always block my media schedule to dedicate myself to the training sessions, because it's my priority," Silva stated.  "I'm an athlete and my focus will always be to train and be prepared for the challenges."

Silva actually owns and operates a gym out of Torrance, Calif., which is in Los Angeles County; he also trains with his teammates at Black House based out of California.

The UFC's longest reigning champion also spends a lot of time in his native country of Brazil, which is apparently where he was traveling when he missed the media obligation on Monday that landed him the fine.

It's unknown when Silva's next round of media will take place ahead of his July showdown with Weidman at UFC 162 in Las Vegas.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.