Anderson Silva: I Was Never A Cheater, I Always Played Fair

Anderson Silva

The recent spree of failed drug tests in the UFC and other organizations has really brought to light what is now being described as an epidemic. At the pinnacle of this list of fighters who failed drug screens is former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. With many arguing that he should now retire, and not much word from “The Spider” himself, it looks like this may be the end of an incredible career.

Aside from a brief denial of using any PEDs (performance enhancing drugs), Silva has chosen to remain quiet, until now. Check out what the Brazilian star posted to his Instagram account:

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.

A photo posted by Anderson Silva (@spiderandersonsilva) on

Well say what you like about Anderson Silva, but he spent a large portion of his career as the best fighter on the planet. We’ve all voiced our varying opinions on the negative headlines about his discrepancies, but we should also remember how long it took Silva to get to the top, and stay there.

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Do you think he’ll be vindicated, or will Silva forever be remembered as the biggest star who ever got caught juicing in MMA?