Several months ago, the Nevada Athletic Commission announced that former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in his UFC 183 out-of-competition test. Silva would later also test positive for Oxazepam, Temazepam, and drostanolone metabolites in his post-fight drug test.
Since the shocking news was revealed, several fighters have come out to either support Silva despite of his actions, while other condemned him for his decision and claimed it would tarnish his legacy. Former opponent Jeremy Horn, who fought Silva in South Korea back in 2004, agrees with the former: steroids should not impact Silva's storied legacy.
"My view on steroids is a little different than most," Horn told Submission Radio. "I don't care. I don't think it changes much, I don't think it effects much. You're bigger or stronger or whatever, I don't care. Like I've said it before, technique wins fights. Steroids don't give you good technique."
While Horn agrees that steroid abuse in MMA increased along with fight purses, which is a natural escalation in sports. However, he suggested that steroids would only benefit a certain aspects of one's game - power, strength and durability. However, it did little to improve one's technical ability, which is why Horn believes it should not tarnish Silva's legacy. Since Silva's wins were more about his technical prowess rather than strength, the steroid connection is simply non-existent, according to Horn.
"I don't think it should tarnish his legacy; just because he's done so many amazing things that you know were not because he was bigger or stronger than his opponent. And the biggest thing people will say is 'well it's not about being big and strong, taking steroids means you can recover faster which means you can train harder and more', well that's only if you're pushing the extreme physical side of things. You're telling me you can't sit down and watch tape, and learn? You can't loosely, slowly, drill stuff and learn? You know it's only how hard can you push, how physically demanding you can push yourself?
"I think it's sad that it may hurt his legacy a little, bit because I don't think it should."