Nevada Commission rejects Wand's protest, says his arguments are 'despicable'

Wanderlei (photo) was banned from Las Vegas. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

The Nevada Athletic Commission responded to allegations of Wanderlei Silva about the lifetime ban he received last year and firmly refused the former Brazilian fighter's appeals, classifying his arguments as “despicable to say the least”.

In 2014, Wanderlei received a harsh punishment from the North American organization for refusing to take a surprise anti-doping test months before his fight against Chael Sonnen, at UFC 175. The Nevada Commission argues that, because the fight has already been officially announced, fighters should already be subject to providing samples when deemed necessary. For this reason, at trial, Wanderlei received a lifetime punishment by the Nevada Commission, so that he can never again be licensed to fight under their supervision – and also under that of other entities, which follow the rules of the Nevada Commission.

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On the other hand, the former PRIDE champion was outraged by the Nevada Commission's decision. Wanderlei even went to court against the punishment, claiming that the entity did not have jurisdiction to carry out the exam. The agency’s response came bluntly:

“Silva admitted to the commission that he knew he was scheduled to fight in Las Vegas when the collector asked for his samples for the exam. Silva admitted to the commission that he should have submitted himself to the examination. So why did Silva refuse to take the exam? Because he knew he was using a banned drug. That's the truth. Silva's subsequent statement in a note to this court, in which he said that he correctly refused to provide a blood sample because he was not licensed to fight, is despicable to say the least”, countered the entity, in a document published by the North American blog “Combat Sports Law”.

The prohibited drug to which the commission refers are the diuretics that the Brazilian admittedly used. The substance, prohibited by current anti-doping regulations, was ingested by Wanderlei as a means of recovering from an injury he had suffered to his hand. “Silva admitted that he used a banned drug before his fight. The commission's conclusion that Silva should have undergone out-of-competition examinations is supported by his own statements,” the document continues.

Finally, the Nevada Commission reinforces the decision to carry out surprise exams on athletes who have fights scheduled in Nevada. “The commission has all control and jurisdiction over all combat competitions that are held in the state of Nevada. With this broad scope in mind, the question is: Could a fighter scheduled to compete in Nevada evade a drug test weeks before his fight? The commission believes that, for the health and safety of these competitors and the integrity of the sport, the answer must be 'no'”, he added.

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