Wanderlei Silva was granted a new disciplinary hearing for skipping out on his 2014 drug test, one that originally ended with a lifetime ban from mixed martial arts (MMA), as well as exile from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
That original punishment from Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) was struck down on Monday (May 18, 2015) by the Nevada district court, which ruled the commission did not have substantial evidence to blacklist the former PRIDE fighter (full report here).
Silva released a video reaction later in the day -- sans heavy metal soundtrack -- to declare that "history has been made for all MMA athletes."
He's not kidding. The commission did some history making of its own last week by instituting a new drug testing policy that will bench offenders for up to three years for a first offense (more on that here), which may help deter some combatants from using performance-enhancing drugs (PED).
In the meantime, Silva awaits a new hearing date and vows to keep fighting the good fight.
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