Wanderlei Silva news features "The Axe Murderer's" explanation about his refusal to undergo the pre-fight drug test mandated by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).
Wanderlei Silva's drug test was set on May 24, when according to several reports, a representative from the NAC visited his gym unannounced. According to "The Axe Murder", his inability to read the documents in English, and the absence of his lawyer during the time forced him to run to his car and drive away.
He did however air his side of the story the first time the controversy arose.
"This is all a big confusion," Silva explained in Youtube video he released in late May. "Everything I've heard, I heard it, just like you, from the internet."
Almost three weeks after, "The Axe Murderer's" camp released further statements regarding the Wanderlei Silva news. This time, they admitted that the Brazilian fighter did have diuretics in his system along with anti-inflammatories, but it was mainly to alleviate the pain from a hand injury he suffered from during the Ultimate Fighter Brazil filming.
"He was taking diuretics for the sole purpose of minimizing the inflammation, to decrease the water retention," Silva's lawyer Ross Goodman said of the Wanderlei Silva news, in a report by MMA Fighting. "He now realized that he should have submitted to the drug test. He was surprised."
"It was the first time in his career where something like this (happened), out of competition, somebody showed up at his gym," he added.
The diuretics are deemed as banned substances because of its ability to mask the illegal substances in the body to avoid detection.
Goodman clarified that Wanderlei Silva was not running away from any of his obligations regarding drug testing.
"That doesn't negate or minimize what Mr. Silva did," Goodman continued. "He's here to apologize to the commission, and he was concerned that the diuretics would show up on his sample."
The Athletic Commission has yet to review "The Axe Murderer's" case wherein they will deliberate on the sanction that will be imposed.
