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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
In a bit of shocking breaking news tonight, both Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz have failed drug tests surrounding their UFC 183 main event.
Silva, the former UFC Middleweight Champion, was popped for metabolites for the steroid drostanolone in a random out of competition drug test administered on January 9, with the test results coming back today. Additionally, Yahoo! Sports! writer Kevin Iole reports that Nick Diaz failed his post-fight drug test over the allowed limit for marijuana metabolites.
Here's the UFC's statement on Silva's failed test:
"On February 3, 2015, the UFC organization was notified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that Anderson Silva tested positive for Drostanolone metabolites on his Jan. 9 out of competition drug test. UFC’s understanding is that further testing will be conducted by the Commission to confirm these preliminary results.
Anderson Silva has been an amazing champion and a true ambassador of the sport of mixed martial arts and the UFC, in Brazil as well as around the world. UFC is disappointed to learn of these initial results.
The UFC has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents by its athletes."
Penick's Analysis: The story of Silva's triumphant return now ends in massive disappointment. I suppose it shouldn't be the least bit surprising anymore when a high profile athlete gets popped for something. Here there's the slightest of possibilities that it was a contaminated sample as they're doing additional testing, but it's unlikely that it's anything other than Silva taking banned performance enhancers. Given how quickly he recovered from his broken leg, it's very easy to believe this news, it just remains a major disappointment. As for Diaz, I'm not surprised in the least that he pushed his marijuana timetable into the fight and got popped, but again, disappointing that he doesn't learn from past mistakes himself. With the Jon Jones news last month and now this, it's a really sad post-script to what could have been a great January from the UFC.
UPDATE: According to a report from MMAFighting.com, Silva also tested positive for androsterone, an exogenous testosterone substance. Additionally, though the results from the Jan. 9 test came back just today, NAC Executive Director Bob Bennett says they'll be pushing to get results back within a week on random out of competition tests.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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