Tag: Thiago Silva

MMA Game Changers: Rashad Evans

July 9, 2011 / Drew Ellis

It’s easy to bring up the word game changer and think of one man in the light heavyweight division.

The obvious answer is current champion, Jon Jones.

But, while Jones still has a few questions to answer, one man that truly changed the landscape of the division is Rashad Evans.

The winner of Season 2 of the Ultimate Fighter, Evans is a fighter that puts together a unique combination of elite-level wrestling and devastating striking.

Evans more represents today’s growing crop of MMA stars than any other in the UFC, especially in the light heavyweight division.

Evans started as a wrestler, coming off a successful collegiate career at Michigan State University, but as he evolved in the UFC, he became one of the top knockout artists in the organization.

His head kick KO of Sean Salmon put Evans on the map, but his brutal right hand KO of Chuck Liddell back at UFC 88 is what truly signified a new time in the UFC.

Fighters, News, UFC

Chuck Liddell Forrest Griffin Jon Jones Lyoto Machida Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Rashad Evans Sean Salmon Thiago Silva

Anti-Doping Agency feels UFC needs tougher testing

April 28, 2011 / Drew Ellis

In an article that hasn’t gotten a lot of play nationally, I discovered this piece by Steve Keating from Reuters.com

The article discusses the World Anti-Doping Agency and their desire to see the UFC step up their drug testing for their fighters.

With a record 55,000 mixed martial arts fans expected to pack into the Rogers Center on Saturday for UFC 129, organizers say every fighter stepping into the cage for a title bout will be tested for performance-enhancing drugs.
But the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and USADA say they have had no role in the UFC’s anti-doping efforts and have not tested a single fighter.
Instead, testing has been left to individual state and provincial athletic commissions, which USADA chief Travis Tygart describes as woefully inadequate.
“They want, for public relation and marketing reasons, to say they have something that makes them look better than they truly are,” Tygart told Reuters.
“Why don’t they have better rules to give athletes and sports fans comfort that there is not a rampant culture of cheating with dangerous drugs going on in their sport?
“They’re trying to pull a fast one here.”

The UFC may be dropping the ball a little bit for this event when it comes to drug testing, but as a whole, the organization has seemingly done a good job of keeping fighters honest.

Events, Fighters, News, UFC

Chael Sonnen Sean Sherk Thiago Silva Tim Sylvia UFC

Thiago Silva has license revoked for one year

April 7, 2011 / Drew Ellis

The drama involving Thiago Silva and his UFC 125 post-fight drug test can finally end.

On Thursday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission came down with its ruling due to Silva’s urine not being compatible with that of “human urine,” after his victory over Brandon Vera back in January.

Here is the damage the NSAC did to Silva according to MMAWeekly.com.

When all was said and done, the NSAC ruling stated that Silva’s license was revoked for one year with a start date of Jan. 1, he was fined 25 percent of his $55,000 purse, fined $20,000 of his $55,000 win bonus, would have to submit a clean drug test before reapplying on or after Jan. 2, 2012, and the result of the fight was changed to a “no contest.”
The total of the fines comes to $33,750, when both the percentage of his fight purse and win bonus are combined.

This means Silva won’t be able to compete for at least a year, and even then he will have to reapply to get his license before stepping back into the octagon.

It is really a shame that a fighter with the talent and potential that Silva will now get lost in the shuffle.

A year in MMA can be a lifetime as fighters continue to evolve and climb up that ladder while Silva will remain in place, if not take a step or two backwards.