“I’ll Never Look At Anderson Silva As A Cheater”

After it was announced that Anderson Silva failed a random, pre-fight drug test ahead of his UFC 183 return against Nick Diaz, people immediately branded him as a cheater. Following that announcement, it was revealed that Silva failed another drug test, further bringing his legacy into question.

One person who doesn’t view Silva any differently however, is UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

He spoke at the ‘UFC: Welcome To The Show’ press conference this past weekend, saying:

“When you go through a situation like he’s gone through, there’s a lot of medical people that are gonna advise you to do this or that to heal yourself. I’ll never look at Anderson as a cheater. What he’s been able to accomplish throughout his career is just unbelievable. He’s still a guy I admire and look up to tremendously and I’m pulling for him to just get through all this and continue being the champion that he’s been.”

“I’ve never been a guy to condone steroids. I’ve had my own personal issues, but I do not condone steroids. I don’t really know the whole situation. I don’t believe he’s been doing it his whole career.”