Anderson Silva is casually going about his business, despite having the weight of the entire MMA world on his shoulders.
Multiple failed drug tests have tarnished his image, and in an attempt to make amends, the former UFC middleweight champ wants a rematch with Nick Diaz and prove performance-enhancing drugs had no influence over the first fight.
There’s a catch, though. Silva wants this fight in his home country, according to a recent Instagram post:
Silva defeated Diaz in an unenthused yet entertaining fight back in January at UFC 183. The entertaining side of things mostly came from Diaz’s willingness to openly taunt arguably the greatest striker of all time in the midst of a stand-up battle.
It isn’t every day that Silva gets clowned on the feet. Aside from his usual hand gestures and trash-talking, Diaz went all Rose DeWitt Bukater on Silva, hanging out on the Octagon floor with his head propped up. But Silva, who hadn’t fought since his gruesome leg injury at UFC 168, wasn’t fazed by Diaz’s mind games.
He steered away from the taunts and utilized 25 minutes of superior range and footwork to earn a unanimous decision. However, the celebration wouldn’t last long.
A few days after the fight, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett announced Silva had tested positive for steroids leading up to the bout with Diaz. It was later revealed Silva had also failed the post-fight drug test.
Silva told TMZ Sports he was “surprised” by the results. He even offered Diaz a rematch to prove the test had nothing to do with the outcome of the original fight.
Even if the UFC opts to do an immediate rematch, the bout wouldn’t be any time soon. Silva has yet to stand before the commission for a mandatory hearing, where he’ll face a lengthy suspension.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
