“He was on the sauce most of his career” - UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva’s call for legalised doping in MMA ignites fan backlash

Anderson Silva is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, having once held the all-time UFC record for consecutive title defenses and being remembered as a human highlight reel during his prime. Furthermore, he is a UFC Hall of Famer, having recently been inducted back in July.

Despite failing tests for performance-enhancing drugs in the twilight years of his career, 'The Spider' has generally held a good standing with the MMA fandom, who aren't as harsh at criticizing him as they are with others when it comes to his lapses with PEDs. However, that looks to be changing.

Anderson Silva recently scratched several heads by advocating for the legalization of performance-enhancing drugs as a means of helping fighters avoid injuries due to the physical strain that MMA training exposes the body to. He also clarified that he believes that anyone who tests positive during fight week should be punished.

However, the former UFC middleweight champion's suggestion that the UFC legalize performance-enhancing drugs has quickly led to many fans souring their opinion of him. Despite Anderson Silva's past assertions that all of his positive dr*g tests were accidental, fans have begun to turn on him.

One fan even branded the all-time great a steroid cheat:

"Steroid cheat is in favor of athletes using steroids, Shocker"

Another fan implied that Silva's decline as a fighter happened because of USADA's strict anti-doping tests:

"There's a reason why he lost almost all of his fights after USADA came."

Other fans even accused him of abusing PEDs for most of his career:

"Hes in favor because he was on the sauce most of his career lol"

One fan, among the few, was in favor of PEDS:

"I’m in favor of doping to be a better fighter."

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions.

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Anderson Silva's rough patch in the UFC

After defending his middleweight title against Stephan Bonnar, Anderson Silva's career underwent a massive downswing. First, he lost to Chris Weidman in back-to-back fights, the second of which led to one of the worst leg breaks in UFC history.

Upon his return, he faced Nick Diaz, with the initial win for the Brazilian being ruled a no-contest due to his positive PED tests. He later lost to Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier. While he managed to beat Derek Brunson, the decision was controversial, and he later lost his subsequent three bouts to go 1-7-1 in his last 9 fights.