Chael Sonnen's advice to Anderson Silva: If guilty, 'just come out and say you did it'

Chael Sonnen isn’t sure Anderson Silva’s failed drug test due to multiple steroids is legitimate. If it is, though, he’d like “The Spider” admit his faults.

“If he did this, I would encourage him and anybody else, much like me, just come out and say you did it,” Sonnen said today on TSN’s “Off the Record.” “The door is still open to come out and just tell us what happened. Say, ‘Listen, it was still in my system. I’m busted. I’m sorry.’ Lay it out, fade to black, and roll the credits.”

Sonnen has a well-documented history with both Silva and performance-enhancing drugs. He fought the Brazilian at UFC 117 and UFC 148 in two of the biggest title fights in UFC middleweight history. He also tested positive for PEDs on more than one occasion during his career.

The MMA industry was rattled on Tuesday when news broke that Silva had tested positive for androsterone and drostanolone metabolites in an out-of-competition drug test prior to his UFC 183 pay-per-view headliner with Nick Diaz on Jan. 31.

While the news is still fresh, Silva did release a brief statement claiming his innocence and his plan to fight the results. Historically such efforts have proven futile, and Sonnen thinks that, if guilty, Silva should come clean.

Anderson Silva

“I can tell you, I wish he wouldn’t have said anything yet,” Sonnen said. “He needs to put a little time between – let me talk about me, and not Anderson. I wanted to come clean. I wanted to tell everything I can, but when you’re confronted as a human being with shame, when you know you’re wrong, it’s very difficult to fully express everything. Now I eventually got there, but I’ll tell you first hand it took me a while. My first reaction was, ‘Hey, this is my business, and I don’t want to talk about it.’ I came through it, and I think if Anderson puts some time in between, he might change his stance.

“He might also be of the mind that he didn’t do it. Let’s let him work through that. I wasn’t there. I can tell you, the lab that was involved that did this answers to one person, and that is Sen. John McCain. This is a lab funded by the United States government. If someone were to come in and say this lab got it wrong, this lab is going to defend itself vigorously. It is not worth the fight.”

Silva’s bout with Diaz, which has now been overshadowed by positive tests from both headliners (Diaz tested positive for marijuana post-fight), was a monumental moment in his career. The former UFC champ returned from a 13-month layoff after he suffered a broken leg in a UFC 168 title bout with Chris Weidman. He beat Diaz by unanimous decision, though the result may be overturned pending future disciplinary hearings with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

As anticipated as the fight with Diaz was, part of the pre-UFC 183 narrative centered on Silva’s comeback from the gruesome leg injury. Despite the fact Silva’s positive test came more than a year after the initial injury and just weeks before fight night, Sonnen said it’s possible the test results could be related to Silva’s chosen recovery methods.

“Anderson Silva was in the ring, and he suffered a compound fracture,” Sonnen said. “His bone from the shin down, his foot, his toes, everything, was snapped in half. The only thing connecting it to his body was his skin. I know that’s graphic, but it’s relevant to the story. He’s got an obligation to himself: health first – and sport way down the list. He has an obligation to get himself better – whatever he needs to do. Use science. I don’t care if it’s free market or black market, he needs to repair his leg. That’s OK, and we give him a pass. If he wants to come back and compete, which he decided he did, he’s got to operate within the rules. For right now, it appears that he tested positive for some banned substances.

“If he needed to help his leg, good for him, it just doesn’t mean he can return to the sport. If he returned to the sport and he didn’t disclose and go through channels, he’s going to have some red tape, and that’s what he’s going to have to work through.”

Silva’s positive test not only placed a black mark on his latest victory, but it also raised speculation about his entire career. Given Sonnen’s position as Silva’s two-time opponent, he was asked if he now thinks he entered the octagon against a chemically enhanced opponent.

“I have no idea,” he said.

Also see:

For complete coverage of UFC 183, check out the UFC Events section of the site.