After his thrilling back-and-forth "Fight of the Night"- winning performance against Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 33 back on Dec. 6, 2013, Antonio Silva had an unacceptable testosterone level.
As a result, "Bigfoot" was suspended nine months and was forced to cough up the $50,000 he banked in bonus money.
However, Silva kept his "cool" because he knew he didn't do anything wrong, blaming the "UFC doctor" -- who is actually Dr. Marcio Tannure, the medical director of the Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts Commission's (CABMMA) -- for upping his dosage prior to the Heavyweight main event.
With a day to let the consequences soak, "Bigfoot" now intends to sue Dr. Tannure because he provided some career-harming advice.
His words (via MMA Fighting):
"I just did what they told me to do. I'd never do something different than what the doctor told me to. I looked for a doctor with a good reputation, and he's the UFC's doctor in Brazil. I knew I'd be tested before and after the fight. Unfortunately, now I have to find the legal ways to overturn this situation or at least prove I'm not guilty."
Silva says Dr. Tannure instructed him via e-mail to take one shot per week as the fight neared because his testosterone levels were low.
His words:
"I took a shot at the same day he sent me that e-mail, and he asked me if I had another one to take with me to Australia, to take on fight week. He authorized everything. I did exactly as I was informed to do. You go get help with a doctor, you do the right thing, and now this story tarnishes my professional career. It tarnishes the great fight I did with Mark Hunt, and gave me a huge financial loss. The doctor knows that I cut weight, he knows how the body of a MMA fighter reacts. He should know at what level I would be with one shot. I felt like a lab rat. I did everything I was told to do and now I'm the cheater."
"Bigfoot" also revealed that he will undergo all of his pre-fight testing again to be administered by a United States-based doctor just to prove that he isn't a cheater. Nevertheless, he plans to file a lawsuit against Tannure because of the aftermath, which actually almost made him retire from the sport.
He explains:
"I'll take the exact dosage I took, the exact timetable, and will get a doctor here in the U.S. and a doctor in Brazil to show to the fans that this is horrible for my career and the sport. I want to prove that it was not my fault. When I have all the exams from both doctors, I want to sue (Dr. Tannure) for the moral and financial prejudice that he has caused me."
He continues:
"It's up to UFC, I don't know what's going to happen. If they allow me to (continue TRT), I want to continue, but now with a doctor that won't give me any problems. I want to continue the treatment because it's good for my personal life and my career as well. If you know what acromegaly is, you know what I have. My hormonal levels are not normal, my testosterone is too low, and I want to be on normal levels. I thought about a thousand things since this all happened. I considered leaving the sport because of these unfair things, but I don't give up that easily. I have to show that it was not my fault."
"Bigfoot" is clearly adamant he has evidence that proves he was only following doctors orders, but unless he has video surveillance of the actual injections, it might be hard to prove that he did indeed follow doctor's orders.
As always, keep it locked in to MMAmania.com as this story progresses.