Thiago Silva admits to using "urine adulterant" for UFC 125 drug test, will accept any and all punishment from the NSAC

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Thiago Silva submitted an altered urine sample to the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his drug test for his bout with Brandon Vera at UFC 125, and the Commission on Tuesday revealed that it was "inconsistent with human urine." Silva has now released a statement, and has admitted his wrong-doing, saying he will accept whatever punishment is handed down to him by the NSAC.

Here is Silva in his own words:

"We make decisions every day of our lives. 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. 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.

I do want to explain the circumstances behind my actions. 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 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 reinjured 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.

These decisions were mine and mine alone. 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."

Penick's Analysis: An admission after the fact is much better than a denial, and it's good that he's owning up to it and accepting the punishment coming his way. At the same time, this is one of those situations where you ask "is he sorry or just sorry he got caught?" Had the test not caught that it had been altered, and had Silva gotten off without getting flagged no one would have known what he did. Still, admitting his wrong-doing and accepting punishment is more honorable than attempting to deny it when he's been caught. He cheated, he got caught, he'll be punished, and he'll have this stigma on him in the future. How this affects his spot in the UFC remains to be seen, but if history is any indication there won't be any added ramifications from the UFC.

[Thiago Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

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Mary J. Blige Dishes On Her 'Crazy' Led Zeppelin Covers

'I've listened to their music since I was a child,' says the R&B diva, who recorded 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love.'
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Larry Carroll

Mary J. Blige
Photo: MTV News

You wouldn't peg Mary J Blige as the black-light-and-tapestry sort, but, as has become readily apparent in recent weeks, she absolutely loves Led Zeppelin.

In early February, reports began circulating that Blige had re-recorded Zeppelin's classic "Stairway to Heaven," working with Travis Barker, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson and guitarist Steve Vai on the track, which is slated to appear on the international reissue of her Stronger With Each Tear album, due Monday.

But after she had recorded "Stairway," Blige continued to get the Led out, covering another Zeppelin classic — the thunderous "Whole Lotta Love" — for the album too. And when MTV News caught up with her on the Essence Black Women in Hollywood red carpet, she told us all about channeling her inner Robert Plant for the tracks, a process that came much easier than you'd probably imagine.

"I did Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'Whole Lotta Love' — it's crazy," she said. "I am a Led Zeppelin fan. I'm not going to say I've been to their concerts, but I've listened to their music since I was a child, and it's always moved me, especially 'Stairway to Heaven,' and 'Whole Lotta Love' is just fun."

Blige also said she recorded another new song — a "club record" called "I Can't Wait" — for the re-release. And while it's only slated to hit shelves outside the U.S., she hopes her fans will get a chance to hear all the new songs pretty soon.

"I want y'all to hear it," she laughed.

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Best Performance Of The Night: Magomed Sultanakhmedov At M-1 Challenge 24

It?s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it?s time for my unofficial ?Best Performance of the Night? award. Today?s ?BPOTN? features M-1 Challenge 24: ?Damkovsky vs. Figueroa?. In the co-main event of the evening, one man rose above all the rest with his incredibly dominant [...]

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Scott Coker believes Fedor Emelianenko will return to Strikeforce cage in July

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

With Zuffa purchasing Strikeforce earlier this month, an obvious question with the sale was how it affected Strikeforce's relationship between M-1 Global/Fedor Emelianenko and Strikeforce. Though the company line has been "business as usual" since the announcement, there has still been questions surrounding whether or not we will see Fedor Emelianenko in the cage for Zuffa-owned Strikeforce.

As far as Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is concerned, he believes the answer to that is "yes," and he thinks we'll see Fedor return this summer.

"Fedor's gonna fight sometime in July," Coker said in an interview with Sherdog.com on Wednesday. "It's probably toward the end of July or mid-July, but we have fights with Fedor that we're gonna honor and continue forward. We're gonna do the co-branding exercise that we do with M-1 every time we do fights with them."

"The opponent has not been chosen, but I think having Fedor involved close to the tournament as an alternate is definitely a possibility."

Fedor still has three fights remaining on a contract extension signed prior to his February loss to Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, and for Coker, whether he completes those three fights or not is up to him and depends on how he performs this summer.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: We'll get one more fight out of him at the least, but we'll see how things play out. I hope we see him try to make the drop to light heavyweight, or at least a 215 lb. catchweight, for the fight against Dan Henderson. That would serve to be a highly entertaining and sellable fight for both, and it would serve to finish out Henderson's final fight on his Strikeforce contract, which would likely prompt a return to the UFC that seemed improbable until this sale.

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