In February, after he was arrested for domestic assault, UFC president Dana White said that ‘Untainted’ Thiago Silva would never return to the octagon.

However, it seems as though White has had a change of heart as Silva was reinstated by the UFC last Thursday, September 4, after he was cleared of all charges.

The Blackzilians, Silva’s team, announced on Friday, September 5, that Silva had re-signed with the UFC. “We are proud to announce that Thiago Silva is officially back with the #UFC,” The Blackzilians wrote on Instagram. “We are truly thankful to the UFC and hope to see him fighting again by January.”

Silva was initially facing two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and resisting arrest without violence. The charges were dropped after Silva’s estranged wife decided to no longer cooperate with the investigation.

Thanks for all the support 🙂 Thanks for all the messages before and after the fight @ufc @FUELTV WORK HARD PAYS OFF pic.twitter.com/c8tCRBvynp

— Thiago Silva (@ThiagoSilva_MMA) June 9, 2013

“When this thing went down, I said he’d never fight in the UFC again,” White said in a statement. “When I watched it unfold on TV and heard of the charges, it didn’t look good for Thiago Silva. But he was acquitted of all charges.”

“How do you not let the guy fight again? He went through the legal process and came out of it untainted,” he continued. “He deserves to be able to make a living again. He’s back under contract.”

Thiago Silva message to fans after hearing news of return to #UFC https://t.co/JarouYRTe0 #blackziliansTV

— Blackzilians (@blackzilians) September 8, 2014

Silva is hoping to return to the octagon by January 2015.