(This story appeared in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) insists there was no disrespect intended when he skipped out on a series of UFC-planned media sessions earlier this month, earning a $50,000 fine from his employer in the process.

Addressing the May 6 incident for the first time, Silva contends a simple misunderstanding was to blame for his absence – and that a true sign of disrespect would have been to commit less than 100 percent of his attention to preparation for his upcoming UFC 162 bout with Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC).

“Basically, what happened was I was planning on staying in Los Angeles until (May 8),” Silva told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview through an interpreter. “I was going to do something private that ended up not happening, so I changed my flight to go back and start training in Brazil. Then at some point, there was some sort of lack of communication or miscommunication between the UFC and my managers, and that’s what ended up happening.

“I was on the plane already going to Brazil when I heard I was going to be fined for not showing up, but at that point it was too late. I was already heading back to Brazil. There was nothing I could do.”

Silva and Weidman meet July 6 at UFC 162 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The annual Independence Day weekend fight card is considered one of the promotion’s cornerstone events and includes a two-day UFC Fan Expo and several days of fan-driven activities before the fight.

When Silva skipped out on the media session with several of Los Angeles’ largest media outlets, UFC President Dana White issued the fine. Silva has remained largely silent since the incident, but said his focus has not wavered in the gym.

“Dana said I disrespected the fans, but I feel the real disrespect would be ignoring my duties to go in there and fight,” Silva said. “Disrespecting the fans would be showing up and not being trained and not to fight at my best.

“I still haven’t had a chance to really talk about it with the fans and apologize if there was any disrespect, but that’s what happened.”

Silva turned 38 in April. He is considered a virtual lock as a future UFC Hall of Famer, and his 16-fight octagon win streak and 10 consecutive title defenses are both UFC records. A mercurial superstar to whom White often has referred to as “an artist,” Silva has dominated his competition for the past seven years, leading some to question whether his heart is still in the game. With a dangerous challenger on the horizon, “The Spider” claims motivation is not a concern.

“What motivates me is to still do what I love and to be able to make a difference, and hopefully motivate people and maybe change people’s lives and give them hope,” Silva said. “That’s what motivates me – to keep doing what I love.”

For the latest on UFC 162, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.