NSAC Releases Statement Against Wanderlei Silva
Fighting legend Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva was once one of the most exciting knockout artists in the sport. Known for his devastating power and his almost inhumane ability to trade shots, the Brazilian was loved by many. However, in the last year Silva’s career has taken a downward spiral.
It all began when he essentially ran away from an out-of-competition drug test being administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) ahead of his scheduled UFC 175 bout against Chael Sonnen. Then the NSAC handed out one of the worst punishments of all time, giving Silva a lifetime ban.
This was something almost unheard of in the sport, and the now retired fighter’s lawyer quickly argued on an edition of the MMA Hour, saying that the commission did not have the right to randomly drug test Silva in the first place, because at the time, Silva was not licensed:
“It makes all the difference in the world,” Goodman said on the show. “It expressly says you have to be a licensee. This is plain as simple as that,” he said. “(The commission) takes one section out of context when says ‘a person.’ Before I even explain that, if they valid what he’s saying, the commission would have the authority to discipline anybody that’s a person. That is absurd. That’s unreasonable.”
It seems as if this case is not over yet, however. According to Bloody Elbow, the NSAC recently released a statement detailing their argument against Silva, and why they chose to test an unlicensed fighter:
“Silva admitted to the Commission that he knew that he was scheduled to fight in Las Vegas when the collector asked him to provide specimens for testing. Silva admitted to the Commission that he should have submitted to the Commission’s drug testing. So why did Silva refuse to be tested? Because he knew he was using a prohibited drug. That is simple truth. Siva’s subsequent statement in his memorandum to this Court, that he “properly objected to the [Commission’s] attempt to administer blood draw because he was not licensed” in contemptible at best.”
“The Commission has and is vested with the sole direction, management, control and jurisdiction over all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat to be conducted, held or given within the State of Nevada. With that broad scope in mind, the question is: Should an unarmed combatant who has a contest scheduled in Nevada be permitted to evade drug testing in the weeks before his contest? The Commission believes that for the health and safety of these contestants and the integrity of the sport, the answer must be “No.””
They also added that Silva later admitted to taking a diuretic ahead of his bout, making the decision to test him a just one:
“Here, Silva admitted that he used a prohibited drug before his scheduled contest. The Commission’s finding that Silva was subjected to out-of-competition drug testing is supported by his own admissions.”
What are your thoughts on this situation?
