UFC News & Notes: Anderson Silva Tests Positive for Steroids Again, New Drug Policy Announced
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Anderson Silva tested positive for steroids again related to his return bout against Nick Diaz at UFC 183 last month in Las Vegas.
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett confirmed to ESPN that Silva flunked a post-fight drug test following his unanimous decision win against Diaz, which was his first fight inside the Octagon since suffering a gruesome leg injury in December 2013.
According to Bennett, Silva tested positive for steroid drostanolone, which was the same substance he tested positive for when he was tested on Jan. 9. He also added that the former middleweight kingpin took Oxazepam and Temazepam, which are usually used to counter sleep deprivation.
Silva, who tested negative for steroids during a drug test on Jan. 19, is facing a nine-month suspension, but Bennett is unsure if NSAC will impose a longer suspension after learning of the result of the post-fight drug test.
"Whether the commission finds this egregious -- that he tested positive twice out of three times -- is up to them," Bennett said. "I certainly find it concerning and unacceptable. It gives an unfair advantage to the person on that. God forbid, serious injuries were to occur to an opponent when someone is on something."
Meanwhile, following the recent controversy involving Silva, the UFC announced that they have decided to revamp their drug policy. Under the new anti-doping plan, UFC will implement a year-round drug testing of all fighters under the promotion effective July 1.
UFC also announce that they will work together with a third-party agency. They did not announce a specific partner, but reports indicated that UFC will likely reach a deal with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) or United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in the coming weeks.
"I think this is a call out to all the athletes on our roster that you will be tested in-competition and out-of-competition," UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said in a statement. "If you are using performance-enhancing drugs, you will be caught and there will be significant penalties."
The promotion will also hand stiffer penalties even to first-time offenders. From the nine-month suspension under the current policy, UFC president Dana White announced that first-time offenders could be handed a four-year ban.
"Fighters are going to look at risk versus reward: 'If I can make a few million, I'll take the risk of getting caught.' Two to four years is career threatening. If you're 28 years old and you get busted for PEDs and you're off four years. That might the end of it," White said in a statement.
For the latest sports news, follow Latin Post Sports on Twitter.
FOR MORE MMA UPDATES, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com