Updated: Dana White Confirms Wanderlei Silva Is ‘Done’ With UFC 175, NSAC Will Decide Ultimate Fate
The MMA world was dealt a shocking blow earlier this week when it was found that legendary former Pride FC champion Wanderlei Silva had been removed from his upcoming UFC 175 grudge match with Chael Sonnen after refusing to comply to a Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC)-mandated drug test.
Vitor Belfort, who was himself removed from a UFC 173 title fight with Chris Weidman after the NSAC and UFC banned testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT), stepped in to tentatively face Sonnen on the July 5 card.
On Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight, co-host Sonnen revealed how Silva had ran away from submitting a urine sample last Saturday night (May 24, 2014) and speculated that his UFC career would be finished. Today, news has broke speculating that is indeed the case, as MMA Junkie’s Steven Marrocco tweeted that UFC President White said the UFC is “done” with Wanderlei Silva:
Also, Dana confirmed that Wandy is “done” in the UFC. Stories aplenty headed to http://t.co/81ChzC2AYm.
— Steven Marrocco (@MMAjunkieSteven) May 30, 2014
However, MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani was quick to clarify the situation, noting that White only said Silva was ‘done’ in terms of UFC 175, with his overall fate still up in the air:
Dana White just told me Wanderlei is still a UFC fighter. “I said he was done for (the) July 5th (card) and NSAC would decide his fate.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 30, 2014
With performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) becoming an increasingly detrimental black eye on the sport of MMA, looking to buck the system will simply not be tolerated in the post-TRT era. Speculation repeatedly teased Silva not showing up to fight Sonnen, and there has also been a sneaking suspicion that ‘The Axe Murderer’s’ thunderous knockout power was not all natural.
He ruined a fight that has been hyped and built up over years; their heated rivalry was even given a full season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Brazil as an avenue to settle their differences.
But all of that is ancient history now. Did Wand deserve to get axed for his transgressions, or did he simply make a mistake that countless fighters have before?
