Prior to fight week, rumors that Anderson Silva had been knocked out in training started to circulate, and it caused concern.

However, the former UFC middleweight champion defused those reports during wednesday’s pre-fight media scrum.

MMAfighting.com‘s Marc Ramoindi breaks it down:

“Yeah,” Silva said. “Khalil [Rountree] gave me a kick in the face. Boom.”

When asked if the kick knocked him unconscious, Silva said it did.

“Yeah,” he said. “Serious. When I finish the training, I go to paintball. I shoot at Khalil. I’m the best at paintball.”

That’s then when that broad smile came over Silva’s face. He had gotten the reporters in attendance at the MGM Grand all worked up and he knew it.

After Soares told Silva “don’t say that” in Portuguese, Silva said: “I’m joking, man.”

Evidently, that was Silva’s way of pooh-poohing the internet rumors. It was also his way of pumping up Rountree, his training partner and a top prospect for RFA.

“Khalil is the next champion at 185,” Silva said.