Big Foot Silva on 9-month suspension for elevated testosterone levels

Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (Photo by Josh Hedges/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images)

Brazilian heavyweight Antonio “Big Foot” Silva was suspended by the UFC this Tuesday.

He was flagged with elevated testosterone levels after his UFC Fight Night 33 match with Mark Hunt, in Brisbane, Australia, last Dec. 7.

The organization released the following statement: ”All fighters on the UFC Fight Night card were drug tested by an independent third-party laboratory at the event, and all fighters passed their drug tests with the exception of Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva,” the UFC statement read. “Although Silva is on a medically approved regimen of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and had been in compliance with therapeutic guidelines on all pre-fight tests performed prior to the event, the results of his test on the day of the event indicated a level of testosterone outside of allowable limit.”

This is Silva’s second positive testing. In 2008 he got suspended for one year after a test for the anabolic steroid boldenone. Then, he said that it was the result of a treatment for acromegaly.

Big Foot also released a statement on Facebook: “Clarification: months before my fight, I looked for the UFC doctor Marcio Tannure in Brazil so I could start the hormonal replacement ‘TRT,’ which was authorized and recognized by a professional,” Silva wrote. “I started the treatment, and two weeks before my fight I did all the exams required by the UFC. My testosterone level continued to be low, so I was recommended by the doctor to increase the dosage. Unfortunately, my level increased too much and caused me to suspend. I only did what was recommended by someone trained who understands about the subject; therefore it was not my mistake. I’m cool, because I know that the mistake was not made by me. I never tried doing anything wrong for my fight.”

With the suspension, Silva lost the $50,000 bonus for best fight of the night (that will go to Hunt) and will have to undergo aditional testing in order to come back at the end of the suspension.