Tag: UFC 153

Stephan Bonnar Suspended for One Year Following Failed UFC 153 Drug Test, Dave Herman to Receive Much Weirder Punishment


(Unfortunately for him, Bonnar’s sad puppy face failed to inspire any sympathy.) 

Not that it really matters given his retirement from the sport and all, but according to the UFC’s VP of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, the verdict has already been turned in for Stephan Bonnar, who pissed hot after his UFC 153 loss to Anderson Silva. “The American Psycho” will receive a one year suspension as a result of his positive test for Drostanolone. But again, being that Bonnar pulled a Richard Nixon and got the fuck out of office — thereby negating the weight of all possible punishments — we’re sure he won’t be planning on putting up much of a fight. The fact that he has yet to even make a statement regarding his test further solidifies this theory.

But here’s where things get interesting.

Also according to Ratner, the punishment in the case of Dave Herman‘s second failed test for marijuana will not only be a suspension of “months,” but could require him to enter a rehab facility as well.


(Unfortunately for him, Bonnar’s sad puppy face failed to inspire any sympathy.) 

Not that it really matters given his retirement from the sport and all, but according to the UFC’s VP of regulatory affairs, Marc Ratner, the verdict has already been turned in for Stephan Bonnar, who pissed hot after his UFC 153 loss to Anderson Silva. “The American Psycho” will receive a one year suspension as a result of his positive test for Drostanolone. But again, being that Bonnar pulled a Richard Nixon and got the fuck out of office — thereby negating the weight of all possible punishments — we’re sure he won’t be planning on putting up much of a fight. The fact that he has yet to even make a statement regarding his test further solidifies this theory.

But here’s where things get interesting.

Also according to Ratner, the punishment in the case of Dave Herman‘s second failed test for marijuana will not only be a suspension of “months,” but could require him to enter a rehab facility as well.

As he told MMAFighting:

Other sports have a difference between PEDs and recreational drugs.

We feel very strongly that there’s a big difference between PED’s [performance-enhancing drugs] and marijuana. We think the commissions do a good job with PEDs, but we think with marijuana there should be some form of rehab involved, going through that kind of process and learning about it.

Let’s just back the judgmental truck up for a second, Mr. Ratner. If you’re one of the ten remaining people on this earth who thinks that the general public needs to be made more aware of any possible effects/dangers of marijuana, fine. That is clearly not the case for 90% of today’s youth, let alone a grown ass man like Dave Herman, but this is America, and although we may not agree with your assessment, we will defend to the death your right to say it.

But if you are going to declare that a fighter should have to undergo more treatment for a positive marijuana test than for a positive steroid-related test – in a combat sport, mind you — then it really calls to question your judgement as a former executive director of one of the athletic commission’s that are doing such a “good job” controlling steroid usage. While one of the substances you just mentioned allows a person to do little more than make it through a Taco Bell mexican pizza without vomiting, the other has a side effect that includes the word “rage” in the phrase. And you think fighters need to be made more aware of the possible dangers the former could lead to?

I don’t even know anymore. You Taters can take this one.

–J. Jones

UFC News: Stephan Bonnar Suspended One Year After Second Failed Drug Test

Despite recently announcing his retirement, the UFC did not show any leniency towards Stephan Bonnar for testing positive for steroids for the second time in his career. MMA Fighting broke the news this afternoon, receiving confirmation from Marc …

Despite recently announcing his retirement, the UFC did not show any leniency towards Stephan Bonnar for testing positive for steroids for the second time in his career. 

MMA Fighting broke the news this afternoon, receiving confirmation from Marc Ratner, the UFC’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, that “The American Psycho” will be suspended until Oct. 13, 2013. 

“We feel very strongly that there’s a big difference between PED’s [performance-enhancing drugs] and marijuana,” Ratner said. “We think the commissions do a good job with PEDs, but we think with marijuana there should be some form of rehab involved, going through that kind of process and learning about it … Other sports have a difference between PEDs and recreational drugs.”

Bonnar tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone in a drug test administered after UFC 153, where Bonnar suffered a first round TKO at the hands of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

The bout, which took place in Silva’s homeland of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was contested at light heavyweight.

Dave “Pee Wee” Herman also failed his UFC 153 post-fight drug test. This was also his second time failing a drug test under the UFC banner, however, in both instances Herman tested positive for marijuana. 

Since the event took place outside of the United States and Canada, the UFC acts as their own athletic commission. 

The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Bonnar for nine months, also issuing a $5,000 fine, shortly after UFC 62 when he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone. Bonnar lost a rematch to Forrest Griffin at the event.

Bonnar owned up to the positive test, stating he used the drug in order to rehabilitate an elbow injury leading up to the fight.

In Herman’s case, he failed his first drug test prior to UFC 136, where a bout with Mike Russow was planned. Despite being pulled from the card, the Team Quest fighter insisted he had not used marijuana leading up to the bout. 

Given this breaking news, have MMA fans officially seen the last of Bonnar inside the Octagon?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Breaking: Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman Fail UFC 153 Drug Tests


(…but damn, did he look good doing it.)

As first reported by MMAJunkie, Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman both tested positive for banned substances in their UFC 153 post-fight drug screenings. With no athletic commission in place in Brazil, the UFC independently tested all 24 fighters who competed at the October 13th card at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena — and unfortunately nailed a pair of repeat offenders.

Bonnar, who announced his retirement from MMA earlier this week, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his TKO loss to Anderson Silva in UFC 153’s main event. It is the second steroid bust for Bonnar, who was suspended for nine months after popping positive for Boldenone in 2006. Now that Bonnar is retired from the sport, a suspension won’t be much of a punishment, though it certainly puts a black mark on the end of a crowd-pleasing career inside the Octagon. (Conspiracy theory time: Bonnar knew he’d be retiring after the Silva fight, and he simply didn’t give a fuck.)

As for the one they call Pee Wee…


(…but damn, did he look good doing it.)

As first reported by MMAJunkie, Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman both tested positive for banned substances in their UFC 153 post-fight drug screenings. With no athletic commission in place in Brazil, the UFC independently tested all 24 fighters who competed at the October 13th card at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena — and unfortunately nailed a pair of repeat offenders.

Bonnar, who announced his retirement from MMA earlier this week, tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his TKO loss to Anderson Silva in UFC 153′s main event. It is the second steroid bust for Bonnar, who was suspended for nine months after popping positive for Boldenone in 2006. Now that Bonnar is retired from the sport, a suspension won’t be much of a punishment, though it certainly puts a black mark on the end of a crowd-pleasing career inside the Octagon. (Conspiracy theory time: Bonnar knew he’d be retiring after the Silva fight, and he simply didn’t give a fuck.)

As for the one they call Pee Wee…

Dave Herman was flagged for marijuana metabolites following his loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Last year, Herman was pulled from a scheduled bout with Mike Russow due to a positive test result for marijuana. Herman denied using the sweet leaf at the time, but in light of this second positive test, it’s probably safe to assume that he’s a pothead. And since the loss to Big Nog was Herman’s third straight in the promotion, he was probably heading out the door anyway.

UFC exec Marc Ratner said that punishments for the fighters will be issued sometime next week.

Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman Fail UFC 153 Drug Tests

Two UFC 153 main card fighters have tested positive for banned substances. MMAJunkie.com broke the news that Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman failed their post-fight drug tests. Bonnar tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid used …

Two UFC 153 main card fighters have tested positive for banned substances. 

MMAJunkie.com broke the news that Stephan Bonnar and Dave Herman failed their post-fight drug tests. 

Bonnar tested positive for Drostanolone, an anabolic steroid used mainly in the “cutting cycles.” Herman tested positive for marijuana metabolites.

Bonnar came out of retirement to face Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 153. It was a favor to the promotion that made him a star and the kind of fight he had been begging Joe Silva to make. By most accounts, it was the biggest fight of his career and put him back in the public eye. 

This is the second time in his UFC career that he has tested positive for a steroid. The first time was after the second Forrest Griffin fight when he tested positive for Boldenone. 

This is also the second offense for Dave Herman. He tested positive for marijuana metabolites prior to his scheduled bout at UFC 136. That positive test forced him from the card. 

Bonnar announced earlier this week that he will be retiring once more from MMA. After this positive test, one would expect this retirement to be permanent. 

Without question, this positive test tarnishes his legacy. Even with the first positive test, I still believed that Bonnar had a place in the UFC Hall of Fame because of his first fight with Griffin. This test all but ensures that he won’t get into the Hall. 

As for Herman? This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. He’s 1-3 in the UFC and the headache just doesn’t seem to be worth it. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 153 Delivers Best PPV Numbers for UFC Brazil Events

The UFC went back to Brazil for UFC 153, which featured middleweight champion Anderson Silva moving back up to light heavyweight for a fight against The Ultimate Fighter alumni Stephan Bonnar. The co-main event had a heavyweight matchup between Antonio…

The UFC went back to Brazil for UFC 153, which featured middleweight champion Anderson Silva moving back up to light heavyweight for a fight against The Ultimate Fighter alumni Stephan Bonnar. The co-main event had a heavyweight matchup between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Dave Herman.

Many were saying that the main event was a complete mismatch, and the PPV numbers were expected to represent that. Not many expected that fans would tune in to see Bonnar almost certainly be handled.

The numbers are in, and it turns out that it all went better than expected.

In the UFC’s third trip back to Brazil in the modern UFC era, UFC 153 had the best PPV numbers yet. UFC 147 pulled in 140,000, UFC 142 pulled in 235,000, UFC 134 pulled in 335,000 buys and UFC 153 pulled in a total of 400,000.

The first trip to Brazil had Anderson Silva defend his title against Yushin Okami with a second-round TKO victory. The co-main event of that fight had Mauricio “Shogun” Rua face Forrest Griffin in a rematch of their first fight. Shogun won this time by first round KO.

UFC 142 had Jose Aldo defend his featherweight title against Chad Mendes with a first-round knockout. The co-main event was a catchweight fight between Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. Belfort won by first-round submission.

UFC 147 was one of the weaker cards in modern UFC history, as the main event was Rich Franklin facing off against Wanderlei Silva at a 190-pound catchweight. Franklin won by unanimous decision.

The UFC is sure to go back to Brazil more and more, so this will only be the highest PPV in Brazil for a short time.

 

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on Twitter @TimMcTiernan.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 153 Pay-Per-View Buys Confirm That Squash Matches Are Totally Hot Right Now


(We’re sorry, Stephan, but unless those things are actual guns, you’re getting your ass kicked tonight.) 

In the days leading up to UFC 153, many of you (and by you, we mean the entire MMA Interwebz) had some less than favorable things to say about the pairing of Stephan Bonnar and Anderson Silva. As if the bookies hadn’t told us all we needed to know, the general consensus among fans seemed to be the evening’s main event was a “travesty, a sham, and a mockery” that “blasphemed the great sport of MMA” and was a “completely meaningless squash match” whose “insulting pairing” would be reflected in “the abysmal pay-per-view numbers it receives.” And those were the favorable comments.

But for every fifteen of you complaining, there were apparently five or more of you who were forced to stifle your true excitement over this matchup like a pedo at a tee-ball game, because if the early numbers are any indication, squash matches featuring unstoppable killing machines are the new superfights. According to several reports, the pay-per-view numbers for UFC 153 are in the range of 340,00 to 410,000 buys. These numbers not only exceeded expectation, but are not that far below September’s squash match of the month featuring Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort, which managed to clear over 450,000 buys despite having those little guys that no one cares about fighting in the night’s co-main event.


(We’re sorry, Stephan, but unless those things are actual guns, you’re getting your ass kicked tonight.) 

In the days leading up to UFC 153, many of you (and by you, we mean the entire MMA Interwebz) had some less than favorable things to say about the pairing of Stephan Bonnar and Anderson Silva. As if the bookies hadn’t told us all we needed to know, the general consensus among fans seemed to be the evening’s main event was a “travesty, a sham, and a mockery” that “blasphemed the great sport of MMA” and was a “completely meaningless squash match” whose “insulting pairing” would be reflected in “the abysmal pay-per-view numbers it receives.” And those were the favorable comments.

But for every fifteen of you complaining, there were apparently five or more of you who were forced to stifle your true excitement over this matchup like a pedo at a tee-ball game, because if the early numbers are any indication, squash matches featuring unstoppable killing machines are the new superfights. According to several reports, the pay-per-view numbers for UFC 153 are in the range of 340,00 to 410,000 buys. These numbers not only exceeded expectation, but are not that far below September’s squash match of the month featuring Jon Jones and Vitor Belfort, which managed to clear over 450,000 buys despite having those little guys that no one cares about fighting in the night’s co-main event.

While the numbers for UFC 153 might not be that outstanding at a glance, first consider that aside from Anderson Silva, UFC 153 was essentially deprived of the kind of star power that casual fans are willing to fork over 50 dollars for, thanks in no small part to our friend the injury curse. The co-main event featured Dave freaking Herman for Chrissakes. Jon Fitch was on the main card, you guys. Jon. Fitch. These are not factors that normally add up to UFC gold, yet thanks to the power of one genetically-enhanced cyborg from the future and the pure enthusiasm of Brazilian fans, UFC 153 managed to come out with better numbers than UFC 147 and 150 combined.

So although we may never get the Silva/Jones superfight we’ve always wanted, enough of us will keep tuning in for the mere opportunity to watch either one of them beat the shit out of a hapless opponent. Based on these numbers, we estimate that Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen will do upwards of 24 million buys, receive it’s own television spin-off, and return to theaters in stunning 3D in 2014. And the Ferris wheel keeps on a spinnin’.

No wonder Silva doesn’t want to fight Chris Weidman or Michael Bisping; their chances of not being completely embarrassed out there lie just outside the fan’s interest range. Andy knows that we want to see him keep his hands at his sides, evade then shuffle back to where his opponent just tried to hit him, and deliver one-shot knockouts at the drop of a hat or not see him at all. You know what your audience likes, Joe, now set up the Silva vs Kyle Maynard super-squash-match-extravaganza that we have all been begging for!

–J. Jones