Photo courtesy of UFC/Zuffa
Photo courtesy of UFC/Zuffa
With remorse, Silva addresses failed drug test
UFC light heavyweight Thiago Silva was very impressive in his victory over Brandon Vera at UFC 125, but following the event, the Brazilian slugger ran into controversy regarding the urinalysis of his post-fight sample.
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive Keith Kizer explained to MMAjunkie.com yesterday that the results of the test revealed that the sample was “inconsistent with human urine.” Silva is now suspended until his hearing on April 7.
But instead of making the decision to avoid discussing the controversy, the 205 lb. knockout artist has come forward, releasing a statement earlier today on The Underground.
“When you make a bad decision, you can either make the situation worse by trying to cover it up, or lie about it, or just stick your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it even happened,” Silva said. “Or you can own up to it with an honest explanation, accept the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people affected by it, learn from it and move on. I’m choosing the second option.”
Silva went on to explain that he used a urine adulterant to “alter the results of the test,” but also clarified the reason he use such a substance.
Prior to his main event tilt against former champion Rashad Evans at UFC 108 in 2010, Silva severely injured his back. But due to his desire to fight and the fact that the card had already had its share of injuries, he elected to compete, losing via unanimous decision, though nearly finishing his opponent in the final frame.
Silva was then out of action for nearly a year before stepping foot in the Octagon again, but, just like his last training camp, this one also was marred by a back injury. Once again refusing to pull out of a fight, the 15-2 fighter elected a different means of recovery.
“I re-injured my back 45 days before the fight with Brandon Vera. After not fighting for a year, I made the decision to not pull out of the fight. I also decided that the only way I could continue with the fight was to take injections in my back and spine that contained substances prohibited by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I also made the decision to use a product to hide the presence of these substances in a urine test.
“These decisions were mine and mine alone. I did not share this information with anyone prior to the fight for fear that I would not be allowed to fight. I obviously made a terrible decision. I have since learned that it may have even been possible to fight had I been open and honest and disclosed the injury and treatment prior to the fight. I also realize that not being allowed to fight as a result of the treatment would have been a better result than the mess into which I have now gotten myself.”
Silva now must wait until next month to hear what his fate will be. In the meantime, he has shown an immense amount of remorse for his decision, regretting the situation he has put himself in. But not only is he disappointed in the actions that will most certainly affect his career over the coming months, he is also very apologetic to those he affected.
“This was a terrible decision on my part for which I will be punished. I am prepared to accept this punishment, learn from it and move on. I apologize to the Commission, the UFC, Brandon Vera and the MMA fans.”
