New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) officials have not yet clarified if Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva will face testing ahead of Bellator 180.
Sonnen and Silva, who are set to square off at Bellator 180’s main event on June 24 at Madison Square Garden, NY, have both recently returned to action following doping suspensions issued in Nevada. Silva is effectively serving the remainder of a three-year ban which is due to run its course in May.
MMAFighting reported on Thursday that, when approaching the NYSAC regarding their policy on out-of-competition testing, s straight answer was hard to come by. According to that report, New York Department of State spokesperson Laz Benitez had stated in an e-mail that “the commission has the authority and discretion to administer drug testing, but declined to comment when asked specifically about Sonnen and Silva.”
“The Commission’s normal practice is to conduct testing on any athlete who has a history of doping violations every time they compete in the State of New York,” wrote Benitez.
According to NYSAC rules, every fighter granted a licence must submit to a “drug and/or steroid screening in a manner directed by the NYSAC”. This is generally administered as part of the athlete’s medical examination.
“The Commission gains authority over the competitors once they are licensed,” Benitez added when responding to MMAFighting’s query. “Once licensed, however, the Commission may — in its discretion — require drug testing prior to the event.”
Benitez declined to comment on the specific plans of the NYSAC for Sonnen and Silva, stating that she had “no further comment.”
