UFC light heavyweight contender Thiago Silva (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was wrong, and he admits it.
In an era in which professional athletes have gone so far as to lie under oath in regard to their use of performance-enhancing substances, Silva is taking the exact opposite approach.
In a statement delivered to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Silva admits he cheated for his UFC 125 matchup with Brandon Vera, and he'll accept whatever punishment the Nevada State Athletic Commission recommends. After that, the Brazilian says he'll come back a changed man.
"We make decisions every day of our lives," Silva stated. "Some are good and some are bad. When you make a bad decision, you can either make the situation worse by trying to cover it up or lie about it or just stick your head in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it even happened, or you can own up to it with an honest explanation, accept the consequences of your actions, apologize to the people affected by it, learn from it and move on. I'm choosing the second option.
"I used a urine adulterant when giving a sample following my fight with Brandon Vera," Silva said. "I did so in an attempt to alter the results of the test and knowingly broke the rules of the Nevada Athletic Commission. This was a terrible decision on my part for which I will be punished. I am prepared to accept this punishment, learn from it and move on. I apologize to the Commission, the UFC, Brandon Vera and the MMA fans."
According to the NSAC, urinalysis of Silva's post-fight sample produced an "invalid result" that was "inconsistent with human urine." After Silva's initial "A" test was flagged, the "B" sample then was tested by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory, which is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and determined the same thing.
Silva said he doesn't want to make an excuse for his behavior, but he did hope to offer an explanation for decision. A pre-existing injury threatened to force him out of the fight with Vera, and the slugger didn't want to withdraw from the matchup.
"I do want to explain the circumstances behind my actions," Silva said. "Please do not interpret this as an attempt to justify my actions. I know they were wrong and I know I made bad decisions and I know I deserve to be punished. That is why I began my statement with an admission and an apology before going into these details. This is not an excuse, only an explanation.
"I had been tested on five prior occasions while fighting for the UFC before the Brandon Vera fight. Four of the tests were urine only, and one included a blood sample, as well in New Jersey the day before the fight. I passed each of those tests. I suffered a severe back injury shortly before the (January 2010) Rashad Evans fight. It was the biggest fight of my career and there was no way I was going to pull out of it. I fought and lost and was out of action for a year rehabilitating the injury and getting ready to fight again.
"I re-injured my back 45 days before the fight with Brandon Vera. After not fighting for a year, I made the decision to not pull out of the fight. I also decided that the only way I could continue with the fight was to take injections in my back and spine that contained substances prohibited by the Nevada Athletic Commission. I also made the decision to use a product to hide the presence of these substances in a urine test."
Silva's case will be heard before the NSAC on April 7. The fighter said he acted without the knowledge of his teammates American Top Team and will accept the commission's orders – likely a one-year suspension – and look to move forward.
"These decisions were mine and mine alone," Silva said. "I did not share this information with anyone prior to the fight for fear that I would not be allowed to fight. I obviously made a terrible decision. I have since learned that it may have even been possible to fight had I been open and honest and disclosed the injury and treatment prior to the fight. I also realize that not being allowed to fight as a result of the treatment would have been a better result than the mess into which I have now gotten myself.
"Again, I take full responsibility for making the decision to break the rules and try to cheat the system. I will accept the punishment I receive and will learn from this. I plan to come back as a better person and professional as a result."
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Shoulda said this before the result came out d00d.