Anderson Silva Wants UFC To Allow TRT Again
Despite just completing a one year suspension from USADA, for a failed drug test, Anderson Silva is still in favour of the organisation’s partnership with the UFC. However, he believes that they should be more flexible and that the UFC should allow testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) again.
Speaking to the YouTube Channel Rap 77, (as transcribed by BJPenn.com), ‘The Spider’ stated that he wanted to see TRT allowed in the UFC, like before USADA came on board.
“There are some athletes who need to make use of the hormonal replacement. I think if USADA regulated that, we’d have the sport at a high level with athletes who have stopped fighting. Vitor [Befort], for example. Even me, though I never had the replacement. But some athletes who really need it, who are older. Dan Henderson, many other athletes who have stopped because of this.
“USADA’s entrance in the UFC to control the doping situation, the way I see it, was good. But, in a certain way, it ends up being a disturbance. Because MMA isn’t a regular sport like all the others. It demands from the athlete fighting training, physical training. There are other countless technical valencies that they have to maintain [like] injuries, etc.
“I’m in favor of doping control, for sure. I think no athlete should or can be, on fight day, taking advantage of some situation. But I think they need to review this. Because there are many injuries, many athletes getting hurt, many fights getting canceled due to athletes getting injured, etc.
“For instance, you take a Tylenol, you can get caught in the doping.” You take aspirin, you can get caught in the doping. There are many things, many medicines that the athlete uses, that they have to always be policing themselves… I’m not against USADA, I’m totally in favour, but I think there should be a certain [flexibility] when it comes to what is allowed and what isn’t.”
Silva returns to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 208, almost two years ago, when he beat Derek Brunson, next month at UFC 234, against Israel Adesanya. The fight is being labelled as a fight between two generations.