Wanderlei Silva news reveals "The Axe Murderer's" announcement that he is retiring from mixed martial arts competition. The MMA legend and former PRIDE FC champion however, was still given a lifetime ban and a $70,000 fine by the Nevada Athletic Commission due to his drug test issues.

This past weekend, the 18-year mixed martial arts veteran publicly announced his retirement from the sport, through a video he released through his Youtube page.

"With a heavy heart I come here today to declare I am stepping down from the ring. After today, Wanderlei Silva will not fight again," Silva declared. "My career is over because I don't have a stage to perform where athletes get the proper respect. For these reasons, I have had enough."

Wanderlei Silva news reveals "The Axe Murderer" had a colorful career as a fighter that goes back to the primitive roots of Vale Tudo in his home country of Brazil. Silva gained a huge following during his stint in the now defunct PRIDE FC organization, wherein he held the middleweight championship for six years.

While he did not have a stellar career with the UFC as he did in PRIDE, Silva is still regarded as one of the most-feared fighters of all-time, given his vicious Muay Thai style. His last fight in the Octagon was against fellow top contender Brian Stann in March 2013, wherein he bagged both the Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night honors.

Despite his colorful career as a fighter, Silva was plagued by drug testing issues. Most recently, he was involved in a dispute with the Athletic Commission wherein he deliberately skipped the mandatory drug test. However, he did admit during a Commission hearing in June that he used diuretics to alleviate an injury.

In the latest report by MMA Fighting about the Wanderlei Silva news, "The Axe Murderer" was given a lifetime ban and a $70,000 fine by the commission after the fighter failed to show-up during Tuesday's hearing to address his latest drug test issue.