Wanderlei Silva Expects To Be Granted License By NAC, Looking To Return In December
Former Pride middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva isn’t concerned about his upcoming hearing with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) on August 21, the 37-year old veteran expects to be let of with refusing to take a random drug test in May as well as receive a new license.
The Brazilian icon will meet with officials of the NAC to review his case following his failure to submit a drug test at his gym on May 24. “”The Axe Murderer” was training for a scheduled bout with Chael Sonnen at UFC 175 at the time when he refused the test. Sonnen was also randomly tested and failed both tests, he subsequently retired from MMA.
Silva originally said he never took the test as he couldn’t speak English and didn’t know what was happening. However, he later admitted to that not being true and revealing that he had not took the test because he was taking diuretics. He claims he had been prescribed them along with anti-inflammatories by a UFC doctor to help him recover from a fractured wrist.
UFC president Dana White recently said he thinks Silva is in a lot trouble when he steps in to face the commission:
“I think he’s in big trouble. You cannot run away from a test. You can’t do it, and it sets a very bad precedent. He would have been better off taking the test and testing positive than running from the test.”
But, that’s not what Silva thinks is going to happen. He expects to be be tested again to prove he’s clean before getting licensed by the NAC:
“I’m already preparing my defense,” Silva said in a interview with Ag.Fight. “There’s not much to be done, there’s no legislation over me. I don’t have a license and I’m not committed to fight in any event at the moment. I will do my defense and, as soon as I have (a fight) coming up, I will do the test and prove that I’m clean to get my license.”
If the unlikely does happen, Silva would like to return around the end of the year where he’s still eying a trilogy with Dan Henderson.
“I want to fight in December, at the end of the year. They always do big events at the end of the year, and this fight could happen anywhere. I will be ready. I would like to fight in Brazil, but we can fight in Japan or even in the United States. But if it really is against Dan Henderson, I would like it to be in a soccer stadium in Brazil.”
It’s highly doubtful that he will get licensed by the commission with what’s happened but you never know. How do you think Silva will fare at the hearing later this month?
