Matt Brown Says Silva Should’ve Been Suspended Four Years, Or A Lifetime
Despite a somewhat surprising and embarrassing defense in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), legendary former middleweight champion Anderson Silva only received a fine, and a year-long suspension, which actually ends in January, for failing multiple drug tests surrounding his UFC 183 unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz.
Silva’s hearing was pushed back multiple times, leading many to believe that he would have a strong defense prepared, but fans and media members were shocked at the events that took place at the NSAC hearing on August 13, 2015.
Despite the bizarre showing, however, it seems as if many are accepting of the punishment handed down to “The Spider”, except for top welterweight contender Matt “The Immortal” Brown that is.
Brown recently spoke on the topic, saying that he has no respect for people that cheat, and he also believes that Silva should’ve been handed a longer suspension, a heftier fine, and possibly even a lifetime ban:
“I have no respect for people that cheat,” Brown said on the latest Great MMA Debate podcast (Via FOX Sports). “Like I’ve said many times before, I think he should have been (suspended) four years, take his whole damn purse away, if not a lifetime (ban).
“I don’t see anything wrong with a lifetime ban.”
Although Brown’s ideas may be a bit over the top, Silva is indeed lucky that he isn’t serving out a longer suspension. Not only is “The Spider” a first-time offender, but fortunately for him, his failures weren’t under the new system of UFC drug testing.
With performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs) a growing problem in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), the UFC has teamed up with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), designing a new testing program with much stricter punishments. However, this plan didn’t go into effect until July 1, 2015.
Although his failures were under the old system, should Silva have received a harsher punishment like Brown says?
