Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is in a world of trouble right now. This isn’t the first time he has popped for steroids, but this time it’s rather clear he wasn’t using magical viagra from Thailand…
Brazilian middleweight Anderson Silva’s journey through MMA has truly been enigmatic. Joining the UFC back in 2006, ‘The Spider’ made a big impression by destroying a helpless Chris Leben.
With his razor-sharp striking and precise knockout abilities, Silva went on to become one of the all-time greats. Straight wins over Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Chael Sonnen and more were highlighted with insane KO’s and submissions.
Like any other legend of the sport, time was soon to catch up with Silva. After breaking the record for most consecutive title defenses and extending it to 10, Silva’s next middleweight title fight was the end of his greatness.
Chris Weidman knocked Silva from his lofty perch with a shocking knockout.
Legacy
Silva’s legacy remained, even after being KO’d so dramatically. The rematch at UFC 168 could well have been the end of his career as ‘The Spider’ broke his leg in a gruesome scene.
Just 12 months later, somewhat miraculously, Silva was back to his winning ways against Nick Diaz. Although tentative and far from his usual flashy self, Silva brought home a decision victory.
But then came his failed drug test for drostanolone and androsterone. Two banned steroids and a result changed to no-contest later, Silva’s legacy was in tatters. Then came October 2017’s failed test.
Latest Failed Test Reveals More Steroids
Silva again failed a drug test in the lead up to his November bout with Kelvin Gastelum, and things are looking way worse now. New reports reveal the exact substances ‘The Spider’ popped for, as per Bloody Elbow:
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is in major trouble after his recent failed USADA drug test. According to a report from Combate, Silva tested positive for synthetic testosterone (methyltestosterone) and an unspecified diuretic, on a test taken in October 2017.
The 42-year-old will now expect a hearing with USADA, with an undisclosed date as of yet. Silva’s party also expects him to be judged as a first offender since he was trialed by the Nevada Athletic Commission in 2015, when he tested positive for androsterone, drostanolone, temazepam, and oxazepam before and after his bout against Nick Diaz.
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Those failures, which led to a one-year suspension by the NAC, were prior to the UFC’s partnership with USADA.
Silva’s reps said that the MMA legend would retire if given a suspension of at least two years. USADA may still factor in his previous failure and consider Anderson a repeat offender. If that’s the case, Silva faces a four-year suspension, with “aggravating circumstances” potentially doubling the maximum ban to eight years.
