Michael Bisping Awaits NAC’s Decision Before Commenting On Anderson Silva
The mixed martial arts (MMA) community still awaits the potential punishment for Anderson Silva after his shocking drug tests results from earlier this year. The former dominant middleweight chance and once called “greatest of all time” failed multiple drug tests for anabolic steroids surrounding his return from gruesome injury at UFC 183 in January. Obviously facing fines and a possible suspension, Silva’s hearings with the Nevada Athletic Commission have been pushed back multiple times, with no decision being made just yet.
When news originally broke of “The Spider’s” failed drug tests, fans were stunned. Fans and fighters were quick to disregard Silva and all he has done, with some calling the legend a disgrace to the sport and a hypocrite.
Recently, a fellow middleweight gave his thoughts on the situation. Speaking with MMAFighting, the outspoken and usually brash Brit, Michael “The Count” Bisping noted that Silva was once a hero of his. Bisping stated that it’s disappointing, and although Silva’s achievements still stand, there is a bit of a cloud around the Brazilian’s career:
“Anderson was, for a long time, a hero of mine even though we were in the same weight class and I wanted to fight him for so long. You could not admire and respect what he did inside the Octagon.
“Of course, the things that he did still stand, but there has been a bit of a cloud lately. It was a shame to hear about the test results,” Bisping continued. “It’s just disappointing. Would I still like to fight the guy? Of course, I would. I’d love to get in there in the Octagon with him, but he has fallen a little bit recently. It’s not something that’s the burning issue that it once was.”
Although “The Count” never got to square off with his hero Silva, he did indeed face the likes of Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, and Cung Le, fighters who are known for abusing performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs). Bisping continued on, stating that he has always done everything the natural way through hard work, and that he immediately loses respect for anyone who cheats:
“I’ve fought many guys over the years that have used performance-enhancing drugs, so I obviously I have a very dim view of that,” Bisping explained. “I’ve always been a hard-working, honest-working guy. The only thing I take is protein shakes and that’s it. Blood, sweat and tears go into my preparation. I’ve had injuries in the past from guys using performance-enhancing drugs.
“In this sport, there’s no place for that. We’re not trying to put balls in hoops. It’s a fight, so you shouldn’t be going out there and doing those things. Anybody that does that, I immediately lose a lot of respect for.”
However, the Brit has decided to reserve his judgement on Silva until the Commission makes a decision, something unusual for the notorious trash talker:
“The sentence hasn’t been delivered,” Bisping said of Silva’s situation. “We’re yet to see what happens, so I reserve my judgement until the athletic commission’s made their decision.”
What kind of punishment do you think should be handed down on “The Spider”?
