Dana White Talks Anderson Silva Steroid Test: It Screwed Me Up
It was quite a decent night of fights in Broomfield, Colordo last night (February 14th, 2015), as Benson Henderson did a real number on Brandon Thatch at UFC Fight Night 60 . The former lightweight champion was truly on form, perhaps as good as we’ve seen him, but that didn’t stop the talk from turning to the failed Anderson Silva steroid test at the post-fight presser.
The elephant in the room reared it’s ugly head, and UFC President Dana White told how he felt in the wake of the shocking news:
“It screwed me up for a few days,” White said of learning Silva had tested positive for steroids. “I was messed up for a few days after that. I’ve been a huge Anderson Silva fan, too, but we’ll talk about that on Wednesday.,” he told reporters.
“I’ll see you on Wednesday in Vegas.”
What happens Wednesday is the UFC’s official stance towards PED use and their plans to hopefully counter it, all packed in to a press conference. It will come one day after Anderson Silva & Nick Diaz‘s first brush with the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) on the 17th. White gave us a glimpse of what Wednesday will comprise of:
“Lots of bad shit,” White said of the topics to be discussed. “We’re not going to be talking about fun things. We’ll address all the things that have happened lately and what we’re going to do and what’s going to happen from here on out.”
The UFC had previously attempted their own random testing, but soon gave it up to the NAC after it likely proved too costly and time consuming. The TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) scandal wasn’t enough, it actually took Anderson Silva getting caught for roids to finally, hopefully force the promotion in to action.
Many fans are viewing this hard time as perhaps the beginning of the end for MMA, but perhaps the promotion can reverse that. A structured and logical plan could turn this whole mess in to a positive. Of course the same could be said oppositely; a soft or flip-flop attitude could mark an impending doom for the UFC, if not the entire sport.
