Sonnen, Belfort and Bonnar have already been caught undergoing doping tests. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS Production (Disclosure/UFC)
On the night of Tuesday the 03rd, news fell like a bomb on the world of sport: Anderson Silva, former UFC champion and biggest idol in Brazilian MMA, had been caught in an anti-doping test for using anabolic steroids. Anderson is still waiting for the test to be retested to confirm the result, but his trial is already scheduled for January 17th in a hearing with the Nevada Athletic Commission – which regulated the fight against Nick Diaz at UFC 183, which marked his return to the Octagon.
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Despite the shock at the news, cases like this are nothing new in sport and often end up happening to renowned athletes. Before Spider, for example, seven athletes who shared the Octagon with him in Ultimate had already been caught in anti-doping tests. Therefore, the SUPER FIGHTS listed Anderson's former opponents who have already been caught for using illegal substances.
Chael Sonnen
Sonnen (right) was spotted after his first loss to A. Silva. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Sonnen was not only caught in the drug test, but he did so right after his first fight against Anderson Silva, the biggest performance of his career – when he dominated the Brazilian for more than 20 minutes, before being submitted midway through the fifth round. After the duel, it was revealed that Sonnen had his testosterone level no less than 14 times above the permitted level.
In 2014, Sonnen was caught again, this time in a surprise doping test carried out while he was preparing for the fight against Wanderlei Silva, which would mark the duel between TUF Brazil 3 coaches. Sonnen failed not just once, but twice in different tests and, after a long process and his two-year suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission, he decided to officially retire from MMA.
Vitor belfort
Vitor (right) had two cases in his career, one before and one after facing Anderson. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The Brazilian Vitor belfort is another athlete to have two episodes involving anti-doping tests in his career. In 2006, after fighting for the now-defunct Japanese PRIDE event, Vitor was caught in a test for using the illegal substance 4-hydroxytestosterone. At the time, the Brazilian said he was innocent and attributed the result to injections he had been taking, on the recommendation of an endocrinologist, to recover from knee surgery. Even with the justification presented, Belfort was declared guilty, suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission and fined by the entity.
At the beginning of 2014, while preparing to face Chris Weidman for the middleweight belt, Vitor was caught in a surprise exam with a testosterone level above the permitted level. Therefore, in addition to his removal from title contention, and subsequent replacement by his compatriot Lyoto Machida, Belfort once again faced a new trial from the Nevada Athletic Commission. The case culminated in the prohibition of Testosterone Replacement Treatment (TRT) in MMA.
Chris Leben
C. Leben (left) was Spider's first opponent in the UFC. Photo: Disclosure
Defeated by Anderson Silva in Spider's Octagon debut, the TUF 1 veteran Chris Leben was another athlete to be caught in drug tests for using illegal substances. In 2008, the American was suspended for nine months by the Ultimate organization for testing positive for the steroid stanozolol in an anti-doping test carried out before UFC 89.
In 2011, after losing to Mark Muñoz at UFC 138, Leben tested positive again, this time for oxycodone and oxymorphone. As punishment, The Crippler, as he is known, received a longer suspension of one year and was fined part of his pay stipend.
Nick Diaz
N. Diaz (right) has already been caught three times for using marijuana. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Last opponent of Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz He is what can be called a “recurrent frequenter” of positive anti-doping results. Also caught in the fight against Spider, Nick fell for the third time due to marijuana use. The other two were in 2007, when he faced Takanori Gomi at PRIDE, and in 2012, when he faced Carlos Condit for the interim UFC belt, interestingly, in both cases, also in the month of February.
Confessed marijuana user, Nick Diaz is legally authorized to use the substance in his home state, California. What it seems, however, is that the fighter does not care about sporting regulations, which prohibit the use of recreational drugs during the competition period, although he does not make any type of restrictions outside this period.
James irvin
J. Irvin (right) was caught for using two substances linked to pain medication. Photo: Disclosure
In 2008, in an attempt to combat the first event in pay-per-view from the rival organization “Affliction”, Ultimate promoted a last-minute edition of UFC Fight Night. The person chosen to headline the event was the then middleweight champion Anderson Silva. However, Anderson moved up a category to face James Irvin, who had two consecutive victories in the light heavyweight division.
Anderson did very well, despite the change of category, and knocked out Irvin in the first round, after catching a kick from his rival and punching him shortly afterwards. An even bigger surprise came with the results of the anti-doping test, when it was announced that Irvin had been caught using methadone and oxymorphone.
Nate marquardt
N. Marquardt (right) recovered after being caught in anti-doping and fought for the belt against A. Silva. Photo: Disclosure
First challenger Anderson Silva, when the Brazilian was still middleweight champion, Nate Marquardt reached the title fight after overcoming a doping episode in his Ultimate debut.
Already quite experienced and with a long experience in the Japanese Pancrase event, of which he became champion, Marquardt faced Canadian Ivan Salaverry in 2005 in his first fight in the octagon. Marquardt had no problem winning the fight, but was found to have used nandrolone during the doping test.
In addition to a fine, Marquardt received a suspension and only returned to acting a year later. However, with three more victories in a row, despite problems with illegal substances, the North American qualified to challenge Spider in 2007. In the fight, Anderson won by technical knockout in the first round.
Stephan bonnar
S. Bonnar (right) was caught using anabolic steroids after UFC Rio 3. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Another case of an athlete caught taking an anti-doping test after facing Anderson Silva. Like Spider, Bonnar was called up at the last minute to fill the main fight position at UFC Rio 3, in 2012, which had become vacant after the cancellation of José Aldo x Frankie Edgar.
Once again, Anderson moved up a category and, once again as a light heavyweight, he had no difficulty beating Stephan bonnar, knocked out in the first round. After the duel, the TUF 1 finalist was caught in an anti-doping test for using Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid.
Forrest griffin
Griffin (left) revealed the use of illegal substances against Anderson only years later. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
The last case on our list, in fact, is not an athlete who was caught in anti-doping – although he should have been. But precisely from a fighter who confessed to having used illegal substances before facing Anderson Silva, but who mysteriously passed the exams carried out for the fight unharmed.
Everyone remembers the second time Anderson Silva moved up a category and simply humiliated the TUF 1 champion and former light heavyweight champion Forrest griffin, with one of the most devastating sequences of dodges and counterattacks in history. Embarrassed after the defeat, Grifin even left the octagon, running to the locker room, right after the central referee interrupted.
Years later, however, Griffin still told more details about the day he was defeated by Anderson. According to the fighter, he had used the relaxing “Xanax” the day before the fight, without informing anyone from the UFC or the Athletic Commission. Very nervous at the time, Forrest said he was already prepared to deal with the consequences of the unauthorized use of a banned substance, but was surprised when his name did not appear on the list of athletes caught in anti-doping testing.
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