There are many ways that an athlete can handle a failed drug test, and former UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva is going with the least effective option available: deny, deny, deny. Speaking with media during a conference call to promote his upcoming fight with Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 83, Silva claimed he did nothing wrong in regard to his two failed drug tests in January.
"I don't have to prove absolutely anything to Bisping or anyone else besides myself," he said (via MMA Fighting's Guilherme Cruz). "I never needed any illegal substance, steroid or anything like that. I made a mistake, and everyone can make mistakes. I never tested positive before."
While that's fairly innocuous and strategically vague, he got a bit more specific later on in the call. "I'm not perfect, I'm not a saint. I really made a mistake by taking a substance that was tainted," he said. "I never intended to expose my personal life to clear the facts the way I did. I never took any kind of steroid. My lawyer and the guy that tested the supplements I took were not able to prove the truth."
For those who don't remember, Silva's 2015 was defined by two failed drug tests surrounding his UFC 183 bout with Nick Diaz. Silva failed a random drug test ahead of the fight for two banned substances, specifically drostanolone (an anabolic steroid) and androstane, and would then fail a standard fight night test for drostanolone as well as anti-anxiety medications oxazepam and temazepam.
That revelation shook MMA to its core and likely helped to jump-start the UFC's relationship with USADA. Many fans, however, still tried to give Silva the benefit of the doubt, but he made that difficult when he told the Nevada State Athletic Commission in August that his samples were contaminated because of his use of a mysterious Thai sex drug. The explanation, quite frankly, didn't hold water, and commissioner Anthony Marnell labelled it as "hokey."
@SpiderAnderson see you in London my friend! Just leave the viagra out of it! #randomtesting
— michael (@bisping) December 24, 2015
While Silva's legacy is still placed on a high pedestal, Bisping hasn't been pulling his verbal punches when dealing with Silva. He needled the Spider a bit on social media on Christmas Eve and didn't stop doing so when he shared a phone line with Silva.
"We're all chasing a dream, a dream of being a champion. ... But Anderson Silva tested positive for not one, not two, but for three banned substances," he said (via MMA Junkie's Matt Erickson). "And while I respect him as a fighter, I lost a lot of respect for him for that. ... I hope Anderson is tested many times [before we fight]."
Unfortunately, Silva and Bisping won't face off until February 27. Look forward to some colorful remarks from both men between now and then.
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