Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz, Hector Lombard Handed Temporary Suspension by NSAC

At its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, the Nevada State Athletic Committee issued temporary suspensions for UFC fighters Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz, and Hector Lombard in response to individual failed drug tests by all three fighters. The temporary suspensions are pending a future disciplinary hearing, which is expected to take place in March.

Silva (34-6) failed an initial out-of-competition drug test administrated by the NSAC ahead of his UFC 183 contest against Nick Diaz revealed. The result of the test revealed traces of both Drostanolone and Androstane.

Drostanolone is a common form of anabolic steroid while Androstane is a form of endogenous steroid hormone. Both appear on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned substance list.

It was later revealed, the former champion had also failed his UFC 183 post-fight drug test after testing positive for drostanolone again as well as the anti-anxiety medication Oxazepam and Temazepam, which is often used to treat sleep deprivation. MMAJunkie was the first to report the second failed test.

A former middleweight champion, Silva holds several UFC records including the longest win streak in UFC history (16), which included a UFC title reign that lasted a company record six years, eight months and 22 days. But what’s even more amazing is that during his reign as the 185-pound champion, all but two of Silva’s wins came by way TKO, KO or submission. “The Spider’ was truly the definition of perfection as he was not only considered the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet but also the greatest mixed martial artist who ever lived.

For Diaz (26-10), this marks the third time he has failed his post fight drug test, all of which he tested positive for marijuana metabolites. Diaz had previously tested positive following his 2007 win over Takanori Gomi and again following his 2012 loss to Carlos Condit

Lombard (34-4-1), tested positive for the anabolic steroid desoxymethyltestosterone in a post-fight drug test following his Jan. 3 win over Josh Burkman at UFC 182. As a result he was pulled from his scheduled number one contender bout against Rory MacDonald.

All three men are expected full disciplinary hearings at an upcoming meeting with the NSAC, which will likely take place in March. They also face the possibility of suspensions, heavy fines as well as their respective bouts being overturned into a No Contest.