Count UFC commentator Joe Rogan among those upset over Wanderlei Silva’s lifetime ban handed down by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Tuesday. In addition to the ban, Silva was fined $70,000 (35 percent of his purse) for evading a random drug test in Las Vegas prior to a scheduled bout with Chael Sonnen at UFC 175.
“I just think the penalty is way over the top,” Rogan explained Wednesday. “It’s one thing if you want to tell the guy he’s suspended for a year. Pretend as if you caught him for using steroids. If he got caught and it was his first time being caught it would be a nine month suspension. Instead of doing that they prohibit him from fighting for a f**king life. A whole life. He can’t be 80 and apply for a license for running from one drug test. I think that’s ridiculous.”
Rogan was sympathetic with the commission’s attempt at taking a hard line, but not in the fashion it was dolled out.
“You can’t do it like that,” said Rogan. “You’re sending a message that you have ultimate power and you’re unreasonable. That’s not reasonable. It’s one thing if they said, ‘Hey, we’re going to suspend you for two years’ like Chael Sonnen.
“Two years is big, but to say ‘You can never fight again, ever, because you ran [from] a test.’ He f**ked up. He definitely f**ked up. That’s so unprecedented. It’s so crazy. Even if they said they were going to suspend him for two years, man, that’s harsh as s**t. There’s a big difference between a guy running from a drug test and a guy beating the f**k out of his kid with a stick or a guy knocking his girlfriend out in an elevator. Those are different things. That’s like some evil s**t.”
Rogan believes there will be growing pains due to the commission’s recent implementation of randomized drug testing, but that ultimately it’s a necessary move for the sport.
“These [fighters] have been juking the system for a long time,” said Rogan. “Chael was the tip of the iceberg and when he got popped it sent a real message to everybody.
“They want to clean that sport up and that’s the way to do it. The way to clean it up is to randomize drug testing and to do the most stringent level of testing imaginable and that’s what they’re doing right now.
“If they didn’t do that it becomes a mockery. If it becomes a mockery it actually devalues the sport. It could be detrimental to the bottom line of a business and that’s the difference between guys like Lorenzo Frettita. He runs casinos. They know how to make money.”
Rogan points to the case of No. 1 middleweight contender Vitor Belfort, who said in February that ‘many’ fighters use performance enhancing drugs ahead of their bouts, cycling off close to fight night.
“Let’s look what’s going on here,” said Rogan. “These guys keep getting caught and when they get caught they’re saying ‘Everyone’s on it.’ Vitor said that. He said like 90 percent of these guy use when they’re in camp. He would know better than any of us, so if Vitor’s saying something like that, he’s not known as a liar, you’ve got to think there’s something to it. If you want to nip that s**t in the bud there’s only one f**king way. You’ve got to randomly test these dudes.”
5 MUST-READ STORIES
‘You can’t run from a drug test.’ Dana White gives his take on Wanderlei Silva’s lifetime ban.
The pictures. Gina Carano will film two movies by the end of the year, effectively ruling out a bout with Ronda Rousey anytime soon.
Chat Wrap. Luke Thomas previews this weekend’s UFC 178, compares the UFC’s damage control of the situations involving Thiago Silva and Anthony Johnson, talks punishments for Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier and Wanderlei Silva by the NAC and more in this week’s live chat.
Same money. After holding out for a better deal, Nate Diaz apparently demanded a top five opponent to get him back in action.
Eat up. Benson Henderson say he wants one more fight at 155 pounds before gunning for a title shot at welterweight.
MEDIA STEW
Embedded episode 3.
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Renzo Gracie set for Nov. 22 at Metamoris 5.
Jessica Penne vs. Lisa Ellis from TUF.
Highlights(?) from Jones and Cormier at the NAC hearing.
Bellator 125 Uncut.
Damn near 10 minutes of Ronda Rousey hitting pads.
Long watches.
UFC 178 Care/Don’t Care Preview
…
MMA Crypt Quiz: Pannie Kianzad vs Jack Mason
TWEETS
Excited?
Me and Frankie Edgar will be headlining UFC Fight Night Nov 22 in Austin TX http://t.co/2Sz0nOCxxM pic.twitter.com/AbHJggN2Xz
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) September 25, 2014
November 22 Austin,Texas! ufc fight night on @foxsports 1!! #imcoming #keepclimbing #topspot http://t.co/N7940DYgmT
— Frankie Edgar (@FrankieEdgar) September 25, 2014
Get well soon.
my surgery was a success, i’ll be back soon.Thank you to everyone who sent me their positive thoughts… http://t.co/kMAT1Zopbm
— Antonio Pezao Silva (@BigfootSilva) September 24, 2014
For those who dont know, i broke my thumb pretty badly 2 weeks ago. i am so bummed about missing… http://t.co/USl20ih30f
— Jeff Curran (@BigFrogBJJ) September 24, 2014
Cool.
Throwing out the 1st pitch & ann’g opening of the LA Dodger game was awesome! @ufc Video link: http://t.co/DGWjeHGmZs pic.twitter.com/WxYL3B0sUo
— Bruce Buffer (@brucebuffer) September 25, 2014
I can’t even keep up.
@BobbyKGreen do me a favor and “study” deez z! You kno what it is!
— Danny Castillo (@lastcall155) September 25, 2014
@BobbyKGreen @ufc @danawhite @arielhelwani you’re wrong. Stop finding excuses. You’re ducking me. I’ll move on. If you’re scared get a dog
— Rustam Khabilov (@RustamTheTiger) September 24, 2014
@BobbyKGreen @ufc @danawhite @arielhelwani nobody uses my twitter but me. You’re scared. Plus you hit like a girl
— Rustam Khabilov (@RustamTheTiger) September 24, 2014
Damn.
Dear @LisaEllis115 It was my KNEE THAT BROKE YOUR NOSE… Not a headbutt don’t want you to be… http://t.co/83i4YElND7
— Jessica Penne (@JessicaPenne) September 25, 2014
Very cool.
15 years ago today. I went to see a fight that would forever change my life. Ufc 22 in my home town .. pic.twitter.com/xgV58CCKjn
— Jeremy LeDoux (@titofreak138) September 24, 2014
Nice parrot.
The struggle.
“@marcaroni__: found a good resemblance of moi! @Alistairovereem I didn’t even notice bro!!! pic.twitter.com/1fQhAKiU2U“
— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) September 24, 2014
One of three gallons I need to chug today! #RAWR! @ufc #UFC178 pic.twitter.com/dLMxaDy9GV
— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) September 24, 2014
MGM?????????????????????????(?) pic.twitter.com/Qtnajn3wTC
— Takeya Mizugaki (@takeya_miz) September 24, 2014
I make poor choices when cooking http://t.co/U35eXlyDkA
— Julie Kedzie (@julesk_fighter) September 24, 2014
No easy day 115 kg @ufc ???? ?????, ?????? ????. https://t.co/Yo0Y7KLhhQ
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) September 25, 2014
You can tell the cat loves when my daughter practices Jiu Jitsu on him! Ha http://t.co/ujmAu2zD4A pic.twitter.com/QfglUm8NvO
— Gray Maynard (@GrayMaynard) September 24, 2014
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Sept. 24 2014)
Frankie Edgar vs. Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson
Edson Barboza vs. Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson
Tony Ferguson vs. Abel Trujillo at UFC 181
Igor Pokrajac vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC Fight Night 58
Taylor Lapilus vs. Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Story
Warlley Alves vs. Alan Jouban at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Manuwa
Caio Magalhaes vs. Trevor Smith at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Manuwa
Colby Covington vs. Wagner Silva at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Manuwa
Jessica Eye vs. Leslie Smith at UFC 180
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via heavyfl0w.
UFC 178 Preview: Notorious Ones And Big Questions
UFC 178 is particularly strong (with the usual disclaimer: “On paper!”), so why not bang out a preview? These fights matter. I’ll skip the Fight Pass portion, which will be won by Jon Tuck and Cody Gibson, maybe.
Brian Ebersole vs. John Howard
To give you an idea of how stacked this card is, this fight could have co-headlined that Bader-St. Preux card a few weeks ago. It’s your standard ho-hum undercard fodder here. Brian Ebersole and his manscaping have a bad habit of blowing winnable fights, so look for Howard to continue his improbable second stint in the UFC with a blah decision victory.
Patrick Cote vs. Stephen Thompson
It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a Cote fanboy. This has been true ever since he walked straight through Drew McFedries (one of the hardest hitting human beings who ever lived) hardest shots, knocked him out, and said in his postfight interview, shaking his head “He thought I didn’t hit hard enough.” Tough dude, tough chin, big hitter, big heart. I was in.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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