UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold believes Anderson Silva and every fighter in the organisation should receive a four-year suspension if they are found guilty of doping.
Silva failed drug tests before and after his win over Nick Diaz, but fighters such as Anthony Pettis have suggested the Brazilian wouldn't knowingly do wrong. Rockhold doesn't share the same opinion, as Damon Martin of Fox Sports reported:
I don't understand it. A cheater is a cheater to me and he should pay the penalties, it should be no different. Everybody looks at it different because he [Silva] doesn't have the physique that shows off like Vitor [Belfort] and a lot of other guys have a lot more size to them. I think people just didn't want to believe because they looked up to him for so long. A cheater's a cheater in my book.
Rockhold wants the UFC's new measures—which specify a four-year suspension—to make a difference. He suggests the seriousness of the sport makes rigorous anti-doping measures essential, per Martin:
I'm 100-percent behind it. I'm on board for four years. A lot of people say they should never come back. If you cheat in this sport, you should feel it. Take away a huge f-----g portion of their career because this is fighting.
We're not playing ball sports here. You're coming in here with a deadly weapon. We're not shooting basketballs. We're out there fighting and trying to hurt each other. One year, two years, I think four years is great.
In March, Pettis admitted he "just can't see" Silva consciously cheating, per Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting. Silva didn't fail a drug test during his rise to prominence between 2006 and 2012, and Pettis suggests only casual observers believe he willingly broke the rules, Al-Shatti reported:
The casual fans (are doing that), you know? Like, 'oh, he's been cheating his whole career.' They have no idea, watching him in the UFC when it was just his first fight, they don't know what it takes to get where he's at. So people are so quick and easy to judge, and nobody knows what's going on.
That last point is perhaps the most important for Rockhold, who believes the UFC cannot ease into introducing its new policy.
"I'm excited to see what they're planning on doing," Rockhold said, according to Martin. "They are talking about extending penalties and suspensions, but they started right off the bat with a one-year suspension of Hector Lombard, which is no different than what they did before."
Rockhold remains skeptical. UFC featherweight Conor McGregor previously reinforced his concerns when suggesting doping is "Brazilian culture" in the lead-up to his title fight with Jose Aldo, Matt Erickson and Rick Lee of MMAJunkie reported.
UFC women's bantamweight champions Ronda Rousey is among those who believes more testing will positively impact the sport, per Fox Sports:
"The more testing there is, the happier I am" - @RondaRousey on the new @UFC drug testing rules. via @FOXSportsLive https://t.co/4a6ZRnJPIt
— FOX Sports 1 (@FOXSports1) February 20, 2015
Many fans will certainly applaud Rockhold's comments. Any unfair advantage in MMA must be banished, but it's likely the sport faces a long and arduous journey against drugs. As we've seen with the dismantling of Lance Armstrong's cycling career, a legendary name cannot be forgiven because of successes.
Silva is still preparing his defense, but if the UFC's new rules come to pass and he is destined to be seriously punished, he could be used as an example to all up-and-coming stars.
