Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva: Testosterone Doesn't Win Fights

Upcoming UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio Silva is no fan of testosterone replacement therapy, and he wasn't shy about voicing his opinion in a recent pre-UFC 160 fight conference.

Silva indicated that TRT is mostly hype, as fighters using the controversial treatment rarely reach the highest level of the sport (via MMA Weekly):

"

Testosterone don’t win the fight, (not) Chael Sonnen, (not) Overeem — a lot of guys use testosterone and they don’t win the fight ...He (Overeem) talk a lot. I think he needs to close his mouth and go to the gym ... He’s a smart mouth. He loves the media. He loves to talk. I don’t know why the media loves him so much, but you win the fight in the cage, not outside (the) cage.

"

"Bigfoot" is fresh off a devastating knockout of Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 last month, who was returning from a nine-month suspension due to elevated testosterone levels.  

That victory, coupled with a knockout over Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5 in October, earned the Brazilian a shot at current champion Cain Velasquez this Memorial Day Weekend. 

That matchup is a bit of a let down for some fans, as Velasquez already brutally bloodied and TKO'd Silva at UFC 146 in May 2012, but keep in mind Silva was a massive underdog heading into his bout with Overeem. 

As "Pezao" noted, Sonnen, the next man to challenge light heavyweight champ Jon Jones for the belt next month, is a fighter who openly uses TRT and also was suspended for elevated testosterone levels in Sept. 2011. 

Also worth noting is that Silva failed a drug test for the anabolic steroid Boldenone in July 2008, though his manager stated the fighter was taking the over-the-counter supplement Novedex to help treat the medical condition acromegaly. 

The condition causes the body to produce excess levels of growth hormone in adulthood, increasing bone size in the hands, feet and face. 

Is Silva accurate in essentially saying that TRT does not significantly improve a fighter's skills?