What is ADHD? Explaining the mental health condition Mayra Bueno Silva blamed for her positive drug test
Mayra Bueno Silva's mental health medication resulted in a positive drug test. She revealed that she failed a drug test taken during fight week heading into her matchup against Holly Holm. Bueno Silva defeated Holm via second-round submission at the UFC Fight Night event on July 15, 2023, at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada, USA.
In an Instagram post, Bueno Silva announced that she failed a fight-week drug test in relation to the Holm matchup. She suggested that she suffers from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and has been taking medication for it. Noting that it was her ADHD medication that caused the drug test failure, the Brazilian MMA stalwart wrote:
"I have never in my life taken a substance to enhance my ability in or outside the cage. I have tested positive for a substance that is consistent with the prescription medication I take for my ADHD. I have been dealing with this disorder my entire life and it affects me in a multitude of ways."
Check out Mayra Bueno Silva's Instagram post below:
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), ADHD is one of the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. ADHD's initial diagnosis mostly takes place in an individual's childhood, and the disorder is known to often persist into adulthood. Children who suffer from ADHD are usually unable to pay attention or control their impulsive behaviors. They also tend to be overly active.
It's believed that ADHD could be caused by genetic factors. However, environmental factors such as brain injury, exposure to environmental risks (toxic materials such as lead and harmful substances such as alcohol/tobacco) during pregnancy or at a young age, premature delivery, etc., could also cause the disorder.
ADHD can adversely affect an individual's personal and professional life, inhibiting their ability to focus on tasks and preventing them from effectively dealing with others in social situations. The disorder's severity varies from one person to another. ADHD can be treated with the right combination of medication and behavior therapy, besides working on holistic well-being.
Mayra Bueno Silva's failed drug test due to mental health medication threatened to affect her UFC title aspirations
Following the positive drug test, Mayra Bueno Silva asserted that she was fully cooperating with the UFC's anti-doping partner USADA, the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission), and the UFC to prove her innocence.
Bueno Silva indicated that she'd stopped taking the medication at the beginning of fight week like she's always done. She claims that the failed test was due to small amounts of the substance in her system and that experts feel the amount is negligible and wouldn't provide an unfair advantage in competition.
When the controversy was still raging, MMA Fighting's Damon Martin tweeted that Mayra Bueno Silva was set to have her temporary suspension extended by the NSAC on Thursday (August 24, 2023), which is when additional details regarding possible punitive measures against her could be revealed.
The consensus was that if Bueno Silva's win against Holm is changed to an NC (No Contest) and she's handed a lengthy suspension, it'd hurt the No. 3-ranked 'Sheetara's' plans to capture the UFC women's bantamweight title.
However, the suspension and drug test controversy could not end Silva's title aspirations as she fought Raquel Pennington in the UFC 297 co-main event.