Who would’ve thought it possible? Anderson “The Spider” Silva reportedly tested positive for steroids prior to his return at UFC 184. Yes, the same Anderson Silva who reigned atop the UFC Middleweight division from 2006 to 2013, and who set several records as the pound-for-pound kingpin en route to a possible hall of fame induction, all while championing the importance of clean competition.
But Silva is just the latest in a long line of high-profile MMA fighters who’ve been popped for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) or elevated levels of testosterone over the years. In light of the former middleweight champ’s inclusion in said list, it’s time to take a quick look at the five most dramatic steroid suspensions in the UFC’s history.
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[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Top 5 UFC Steroid Suspensions
5. Alistair Overeem
One look at Alistair Overeem makes you immediately think “The Incredible Hulk.” But he wasn’t always big and burly like he is now, though. Overeem used to be a thin, lanky light heavyweight with a penchant for getting knocked out. His solution? Load up on “horse meat” and gain 60-plus pounds.
[sc:UFC240banner ]Overeem’s transformation led to a long, successful career in the heavyweight division and earned him a shot at UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos in 2012. He never made it to the Octagon for his shot at the title, though, since he tested positive for heightened testosterone levels (14:1) in a surprise pre-fight drug test. Trying to flee the building using different stories also didn’t help his case.
The Reem was prohibited from obtaining a license for nine months. When his suspension finally expired, Overeem lost three of his next four fights by knockout.
4. Vitor Belfort
“The Phenom” Vitor Belfort was the UFC’s poster boy for the then-legal Testoterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). At the height of his usage, Belfort racked up three-straight head kick knockout victories over middleweight contenders Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold as well as UFC legend Dan Henderson.
Belfort was slated to face middleweight champion Chris Weidman at UFC 173, but the NSAC’s ban on exemptions for TRT forced him to pull out of the event. He tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, but was not sanctioned due to not having a fight scheduled. Belfort has not fought since.
The Phenom already had his taste of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s (NSAC) wrath. In 2006, Belfort tested positive for 4-hydroxytestosterone after his Pride 32 bout against Dan Henderson (a loss). He was suspended for nine months and was fined $10,000.
3. Chael Sonnen
The UFC’s trash talk king, Chael Sonnen, was another high-profile TRT user in his run through the UFC middleweight division.
In the biggest fight of his career, Sonnen dominated former UFC pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva for four and a half rounds before tapping out to a triangle choke late in the fifth at UFC 117 in 2010. A rematch was supposed to take place, but a post-fight urinalysis showed Sonnen with a 16.9:1 testosterone/epitestosterone. That’s about 17 times more than a normal man’s levels. The rematch was scrapped, Sonnen was fined $2,500 and suspended for a year.
Sonnen would fail two more drug tests in 2014. He tested positive for human growth hormone, recombinant human erythropoietin, anastrozole and human chorionic gonadotropin—all banned substances. Sonnen was terminated as a UFC analyst for FOX Sports and was banned by the NSAC for two years from martial arts competition worldwide.
2. Josh Barnett
When it comes to repeat offenders, no one tops Josh Barnett. He snatched the UFC Heavyweight Championship from Randy Couture via TKO at UFC 36, but tested positive for Boldenone, Nadrolone and Fluoxymesterone. Barnett was stripped of his UFC title and handed a six-month suspension from the NSAC. He didn’t compete in the United States again for four and a half years until Pride 32.
Barnett didn’t learn his lesson. In 2009, he tested positive for Drostanolone just 11 days before his scheduled bout against Fedor Emelianenko in the main event of Affliction: Trilogy. The event was cancelled and Barnett gained the honor of single-handedly bringing down the entire Affliction MMA organization. He also cost 23 other fighters their paychecks.
1. Anderson Silva
Greatest Fighter of All Time. Most Knockout of the Night awards in UFC history. Most successful title defenses in UFC history (10). Longest winning streak in UFC history (16). All those accolades were flushed down the toilet when former middleweight kingpin Anderson “The Spider” Silva tested positive for not one, but two prohibited substances prior to his UFC 183 bout against Nick Diaz.
Silva tested positive for drostanolone, a substance frequently used by bodybuilders as an effective cutting agent and 17-methyl-5b-androstane-3, 17-diol, something closely attributed to testosterone. The Spider will be temporarily suspended and will need a hearing in order to be re-licensed. He can live without fighting again, but a tarnished legacy would haunt him until the very end.
All of these suspensions have hurt the UFC, certainly, but Silva’s comes at a particularly bad time. With the promoter desperate to rebuild its stable of stars after the departure of several marquee fighters, the return of Silva was particularly welcome. This is a blow that will take the UFC months if not years to recover from.
That said, it’s not all bad. The UFC has cracked down on PED users in the organization and continues to generate excellent fights, if not with the same star power. Create a betting account now and wager on some of the most exciting fights in all of combat sports.
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