Dennis Siver has today issued a statement to give his side of the story after he tested positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) following his victory over Manny Gamburyan at UFC 168 in December.
As with a number of other fighters in the past who’ve failed such tests, Siver pleads ignorance when it comes to having used the banned substance , which is often connected with steroid abuse, claiming that it was given to him by a nutritionist who had assured him that it was legal.
So far Gamburyan hasn’t been issued a punishment for the failed test, but it’s likely to come in the form of a suspension as well as the result of his last fight being altered to a no-contest ruling.
Siver is currently ranked No.7 in the featherweight division after compiling a 3-1 record in the weight class since a move down from lightweight in 2012.
Read Siver’s full statement below.
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“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”
