After failed drug test, UFC's Dennis Siver points to supplement, new trainer
A supplement recommended by a new trainer is the reason Dennis Siver recently failed a drug test, the UFC veteran alleges.
As MMAjunkie first reported earlier this month, Siver (22-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) recently tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a naturally occurring hormone in both males and females. The substance is on many sports’ banned substances lists because of its frequency in use with steroids.
Siver’s failed drug test followed his decision win over Manny Gamburyan (13-8 MMA, 4-6 UFC) at UFC 168, which took place Dec. 28 in Las Vegas. The Nevada State Athletic Commission will soon meet to discuss likely penalties, including a suspension and the overturning of his win, for the 35-year-old German fighter.
Siver, who’s currently 3-1 since dropping from lightweight to featherweight, released a statement to German site groundandpound.de, claiming a new trainer/nutritionist’s advice was to blame:
Today I would like to issue a public statement and give my fans and supporters the opportunity to form their own opinion on how the alleged doping allegations against me came about.
Last fall, my coach Niko Sulenta was diagnosed with severe cancer, which lead to me being on my own during the preparations for a UFC fight for the first time, without me being able to draw on his longstanding care and advice. Niko has always been essential to my weight reduction.
So prior to UFC 168 I had to hire an external personal trainer and nutrionist to support me with making weight. The nutrionist recommended me a new diet method from the US, which had been successfully used by the stars. Thereupon I asked, if I, as a competitive professional athlete, could safely use this supplement. This was confirmed to me. Then I committed the fatal mistake of not making sure through the UFC if individual substances from the supplement could have effects on the drug tests.
I flew to the US and won my fight. I was all the more shocked when the result of the A sample was deemed ’inconclusive’ and I was hoping for the result of the B sample. They found a small component of hCG in my urine sample – a minor ingredient of the diet preparation and a substance which is banned in the UFC.
I do not want to blame anyone for this result and I take full responsibility for my gullible and careless behavior. It was my mistake and it was grossly negligent. But I distance myself from any kind of doping. In my previous sixteen UFC fights, not even the smallest banned substance has been detected. This makes the current events all the more disappointing and shocking for me and my team.
Signed: Dennis Siver
