UFC News: Anderson Silva Refuses To Apologize For Second Failed Drug Test

Shortly after his UFC 183 main-event against Nick Diaz, it was revealed that Anderson Silva — who is considered the pound-for-pound greatest mixed-martial-artist of all-time — failed a pre-fight drug test that he took on January 9. The failure shocked the MMA world, and it instantly raised questions about Silva’s career, and people started wondering if Silva had been using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his MMA career.

Silva took a second drug test just 10 days later, and the Nevada Athletic Commission reported that the January 19 drug test came back clean, but they also reported that Silva failed the fight night drug test.

After Silva’s first drug test failure, he denied that he’s ever taken any performance-enhancing drugs, and well, he’s doing the same thing after his second and most recent drug test failure, saying that he doesn’t know why he has to apologize.

“IN RESPECT TO MY FANS,

I will not say anything about who I am or what I went through to get here. What matters to me now is the respect from those who have followed my career. I bled, struggled and fought because I love it and because I always wanted to honor the flag of the country I love so much. I don’t know what to apologize for, because I am still waiting for the results and analysis from the specialists that are working to reveal the truth.

Everything that I took since my injury are being analyzed. I look for the truth as much as all those who were surprised with the results. I always played clean, I was never a cheater.

In eighteen years of my career, I never had a problem with exams. In and out of the Octagon I never slipped in compliance with the principles that always guided me. With much honor and dignity I defended my country where ever I fought.

I never used any substances to better my performance in my fights. I love what I do and I would never risk what I took so long to build.

I think that the hurry some people have to condemn me is unfair. The time it takes to destroy a reputation is infinitely less than that is taken to build it.

I am the one who is most eager to settle this situation.

I want those who have always supported me to know that I am still fighting for all the sad happenings of this situation to be cleared.”

Many people do believe that Silva was clean throughout his MMA career, and think that he was taking performance-enhancing drugs to help repair his broken leg, which kept him out-of-action for over a year. It was an injury that many people felt would be career-ending, so the general feeling is that Silva wanted to get back in the octagon one more time, and was going to do whatever it took to heal.

The UFC has announced a much stronger penalty for failed drug tests, saying that first time offenders will be suspended for two years. So, it’s very likely that Silva’s two drug test failures will end his long and storied career.

[Image via Low Kick MMA]