Chris Weidman reacts to recent opponent Bruno Silva's UFC ban following drug violation: "That could be from microdosing"
Chris Weidman recently gave his thoughts on Bruno Silva getting suspended for violating the UFC anti-doping policy. As per an announcement from Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), the anti-doping partner of the UFC, Silva is banned from active competition for six months.
MMA Orbit reported the news of Silva's suspension on X, writing:
''Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) have announced that Bruno Silva has accepted a 6-month sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. Silva’s period of ineligibility began on April 11, 2024, meaning he will be eligible to return from October 11, 2024.''
Although Silva has not provided an explanation for the test's failure, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman claimed he was informed that it might have been caused by "microdosing anabolics."
''Very interesting… 2nd failure in his career… likely I'm told that could be from microdosing anabolics as well !''
The bout between Weidman and Silva at UFC Atlantic City was filled with controversy. The 40-year-old defeated his Brazilian opponent with strikes in the third round after initially poking his eyes. In the end, 'The All-American' was declared the winner via TKO.
However, it seemed from the replays that the veteran mixed martial arts fighter repeatedly poked 'Blindado,' which most likely contributed to the TKO victory. Later, the ruling was overturned, awarding Weidman a unanimous decision (technical) victory, which received a lot of backlash from the MMA community.
However, during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Weidman clarified that the eye pokes were accidental because of his orthodox fighting style, which contrasted with his opponent's southpaw posture.
Chris Weidman reveals his next opponent at UFC 309
Chris Weidman won his first fight since Aug. 2020 against Bruno Silva at UFC Atlantic City via a controversial unanimous decision (technical). The 40-year-old isn't ready to hang up his gloves just yet, as he's getting ready for his twentieth fight inside the octagon.
Weidman recently took to X and announced that he will face Eryk Anders, which is slated to take place at UFC 309 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
''See you in the Octagon at @TheGarden on November 16th!''
Many fans and analysts feel that 'The All-American' is not even close to the fighter he once was after sustaining a leg injury at UFC 261. It will be interesting to watch if Weidman can upset Anders with a finish.