Anderson Silva tests positive for steroids; Nick Diaz for marijuana

Both Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz failed drug tests related to their fight at UFC 183 last weekend which headlined the pay-per-view card, a bout that Silva won by unanimous decision.

Silva tested positive for steroids in a drug test administered on Jan. 9 as part of an out-of-competition test, Yahoo’s Kevin Iole reported. He tested positive for drostanolone and androsterone. The results were not released/disclosed until Tuesday.

Diaz, who is a two-time offender and has been suspended previously for marijuana use, tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test. He will likely face significant discipline for the offense.

Both fighters were coming off lengthy layoffs when they met over the weekend. Silva was fighting for the first time since breaking his leg in a loss to Chris Weidman in Dec., 2013, while Diaz was back in the octagon after taking a nearly two-year break from fighting.

The UFC issued the following statement about the drug tests:

On February 3, 2015, the UFC organization was notified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that Anderson Silva tested positive for Drostanolone metabolites on his Jan. 9 out of competition drug test. UFC’s understanding is that further testing will be conducted by the Commission to confirm these preliminary results. Anderson Silva has been an amazing champion and a true ambassador of the sport of mixed martial arts and the UFC, in Brazil as well as around the world. UFC is disappointed to learn of these initial results. The UFC has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents by its athletes.

A few questions and comments immediately come to mind regarding the situation. One, if Silva tested positive nearly a month prior to the fight, why was he allowed to fight? Did the UFC really not receive the results from the test until this week? Questions will persist about whether there was a cover-up to allow him to fight because it would have been a disaster to cancel the card. Two, you have to wonder if he retires given that he is facing a lengthy suspension. Three, apparently Diaz isn’t as good at beating drug tests as he thinks he is.