Soap opera involving Wand (photo) and NSAC should drag on even longer. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
This Wednesday (27), Wanderlei Silva suffered a major defeat in the courts and added another chapter to his turbulent recent saga with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NSAC), which began after the athlete escaped from a surprise anti-doping test carried out by the entity last May. The Nevada State Attorney General's Office denied Wanderlei's formal request for his investigation to be closed and argued that it has jurisdiction to punish a fighter even if he is not licensed to perform in the state at that time, thus overturning the challenge presented by lawyer Ross Goodman .
The information was released by the North American website “MMA Fighting”, which had access to a copy of the Prosecutor's Office's response to the request, presented by Wanderlei and his legal representative as justification for his absence from a disciplinary hearing on August 21st. In the text, the Nevada Attorney General states that a license is not a prerequisite for disciplinary sanctions and guarantees that the Athletic Commission has the right to punish an athlete who is preparing to fight in the state even if he has not yet been licensed. Furthermore, it also says that Wand asks the Prosecutor's Office to adopt an unreasonable interpretation of its legislation so that he can “cheat without repercussions”.
Case drags on and seems far from an outcome
On the 30rd of May, Wanderlei Silva ended up cut from the fight against Chael Sonnen at UFC 175 after escaping a surprise drug test in Las Vegas (USA). The Brazilian was replaced by his compatriot Vitor belfort, but the fight was canceled after Sonnen tested positive for banned substances twice. At the time, Wand claimed that he does not speak English, and that is why he had gone to call his lawyer, and also said that the employee responsible for administering the exam had not identified himself correctly.
However, in his first meeting with the Nevada Athletic Commission, in June, the former PRIDE champion admitted that he did not want to take the exam because he had been using diuretics, a substance considered illegal by the body, to reduce fluid retention in the fracture. on his hand suffered during the fight with Chael Sonnen at the recordings of TUF Brasil 3. Despite seeing Sonnen tried and punished in the same meeting, the Brazilian had a decision on his case postponed.
On August 21st, the date set by the Athletic Commission for a disciplinary hearing that would define the future of Wanderlei Silva, the fighter did not appear at the entity's headquarters and presented as justification the request for the investigation to be archived. After the Prosecutor's Office's denial of Wand and his lawyer's request, the agency expects the “Mad Dog” to go to trial at the next NSAC hearing, in September.
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