NAC hands former UFC star Silva reduced three-year ban
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship and PRIDE FC star Wanderlei Silva is no longer faces permanent exile from mixed martial arts competition by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
Silva’s lifetime ban was amended to a three-year suspension by the NAC during a meeting on Wednesday morning.
The case has been pending for nearly two years, stemming from an incident where Silva fled his Las Vegas gym when a sample collector showed up for a surprise drug test prior to a scheduled fight against Chael Sonnen.
Commissioners voted to ban Silva for life for the indiscretion, but a judge overturned the penalty in June. A new hearing was ordered, but it has been pushed back several times.
Silva was not present at Wednesday’s hearing. His attorney, Ross Goodman, reiterated his argument that Silva was unlicensed as a fighter at the time he evaded the test and should not have fallen under the NAC’s jurisdiction.
A fight had already been announced and was being promoted by the UFC, however.
Commissioner Pat Lundvall referred to Silva’s actions as “egregious.”
Silva’s suspension will run through May 25, 2017, three years after the date of the incident at his gym.
He had announced his retirement in late 2014 and was released from the UFC in January 2016.
The ruling by the commission likely won’t resolve the matter. Goodman has insisted he would appeal any penalty to the Nevada Supreme Court.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
