UFC
UFC's Thiago Silva serves NSAC suspension, free to re-apply for license
Jan 3, 2012 - 9:40:23 AM UFC's Thiago Silva serves NSAC suspension, free to re-apply for license

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva was out of action all of 2011 after his New Year's Day bout with Brandon Vera, serving a suspension for a failed drug test out of that UFC 125 win that changed the bout's outcome to a "no contest." His year long suspension ended on Sunday, however, and he is now free to apply for a license to fight once again.

Silva was flagged in March by the Nevada State Athletic Commission when two separate samples he submitted were deemed "inconsistent with human urine," which meant he "submitted an adulterated and/or substituted specimen for testing for the urinalysis."

At a hearing regarding his initial suspension for the failed test, Silva admitted to taking a prescription steroid to treat a reoccurring back injury, and because he knew he would test positive, he submitted a false sample that was not his own. He was ultimately served the year long suspension and fined $33,750 of his $55,000 fight purse from UFC 125.

SIlva will need to appear before the NSAC in a licensure hearing before he can fight in Nevada again, but with the suspension up he's no longer on the registry of fighters that are serving suspensions.

Penick's Analysis: Silva suffered more in admitting his mistake than Chael Sonnen did in talking his way out of his situation, and considering Sonnen has returned with no further issues thus far, Silva should be able to as well. If he's spent the year off taking care of his injuries and staying in shape, he can plug back into the UFC's light heavyweight picture sometime early in 2012.

[Thiago Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]