Anderson Silva Fails UFC 183 Post-Fight Drug Test for 3 Substances

UPDATE: Tuesday, February 17 at 6:54pm ET

Anderson Silva was issued a temporary suspension during Tuesday's meeting. His case will be heard during a full disciplinary hearing at a future NAC meeting. Nick Diaz and Hector Lombard were also issued temporary suspensions pending full disciplinary hearings.

USA TODAY Sports

---End of Update--- 

LAS VEGAS—Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Anderson Silva failed his post-UFC 183 drug screening for drostanolone metabolites in addition to two benzodiazepine class drugs: Oxazepam and Temazepam.

The results were included in an official complaint filed against Silva by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Bleacher Report obtained a copy of the full complaint prior to Tuesday's athletic commission meeting at the Grant Sawyer Building near downtown Las Vegas.

Oxazepam is typically used for treating withdrawal from alcohol, while Temazepam is used for treating insomnia. The complaint against Silva notes the benzodiazepines are banned substances, but they are not included on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances for 2015. The NAC uses WADA's official banned list as its guideline when testing for banned substances.

"The Positive/Anbormal Report for Benzodiazepines regarding the Post-Fight Quest Urinalysis indicates that Silva administered or used one or more prohibited Benzodiazepines before the contest."

Silva was tested following his January 31 unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz. His sample tested by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City returned the presence of drostanolone metabolites. The commission received those results on February 10.

Another Silva sample was sent to the Quest Diagnostics lab and showed the presence of the two benzo-class drugs. The Nevada commission received those results on February 3.

Silva was notified via a letter from the Nevada commission dated February 12.

Silva previously tested positive for drostanolone metabolites and androstane—both performance-enhancing drugs—during a January 9 out-of-competition test. He was tested again on January 19, and he passed. 

The UFC has scheduled a 10 a.m. PT press conference on Wednesday morning—with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and president Dana White—to address the most recent spate of drug test failures, which include Silva, Diaz and Hector Lombard. 

Jeremy Botter covers mixed martial arts for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.