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Wanderlei Silva receives lifetime ban in Nevada

Published Sep. 23, 2014 2:28 p.m. ET

Damon Martin

The Nevada Athletic Commission finally passed judgment on former UFC fighter Wanderlei Silva on Tuesday, hammering the recently retired competitor with a lifetime ban from fighting in Nevada along with a $70,000 fine for the infraction.

Silva was not present at the commission hearing nor was he on the phone to respond to the allegations. In May, Silva skipped out on a commission-sponsored drug test when he was scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 175 in Las Vegas.

Silva later admitted to skipping out on the test as well as taking diuretics, which would have resulted in a positive result if he would have taken the test. Diuretics by commission law are a banned substance and Silva knew he was going to test positive.

Because he ran from the test, the commission was looking for the stiffest penalty possible for his actions. As a result, Silva received a lifetime ban from fighting in Nevada in a unanimous vote from the Nevada Athletic Commission.

"My proposal would be we would sanction Mr. Silva with a lifetime ban," Commissioner Pat Lundvall said at the proceedings.

Since Silva recently retired, the commission wanted to send a strong message that he will never, ever fight in Nevada again even if he does choose to return to fighting.

In addition to the lifetime ban, Silva received a $70,000 fine, which accounts for 35-percent of his last fight purse in the UFC ($200,000 salary).

Silva's attorney Ross Goodman attended the meeting on his client's behalf and it's likely he will file an appeal with the courts in Nevada.

Silva's retirement and subsequent punishment will likely bring the former PRIDE champion's career to a very unceremonious ending. Silva has made no further statement since releasing the video last week and according to his attorney is currently in Brazil.

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