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https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/7/...n-how-it-alters-legacy-future-in-ufc#comments
How do you feel now that the USADA has finally proven it was a contained supplement that caused your failed test?
I feel that the most important thing was establishing the truth. The doubt about what really happened was bothering me the most. Some people kept asking me to talk, but I didn’t say absolutely nothing because I wanted the truth to come out. I never needed any type of illegal substance to fight, I’m against that, and thank God the truth was established.
At any point, over the past nine months, did you lose confidence that you would be able to prove your innocence?
No, because I have everything I used. Every supplement, every test. I’ve done a number of doping tests and I had my conscience clear. Thank God everything was solved, and now I can move on and continue (fighting).
Do you fear that some people will still look at you in a different way even though it was proven to be contaminated supplements?
I can’t change people’s opinions. I can go after the truth, like I did, and prove the truth. That’s what I’ve done. Changing people’s opinions, I can’t change that. I have my truth, and that’s what matters to me, to my family, and to everyone around me.
When you had this second failed test, some people stopped considering you in “greatest of all time” discussions. Even though you never put yourself in that position, do you expect to be back in those lists now that you’re cleared?
I can’t say what should or shouldn’t be done. I have my fans in the sport. To me, B.J. (Penn) will continue being the best of all time. He’s someone I admire a lot, I have a huge respect for him. And ‘Minotauro’ (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira), man. These two guys are super heroes of this sport. I can’t talk about me, it’s hard to talk about yourself. I have my history, my legacy, and will continue doing my job, and who knows, one day, when I stop fighting, I can give you a better answer.
At 43 years of age, do you still feel you have what it takes to get to the belt again?
Man, I’m in great shape, I have what it takes to fight anyone, and now I’ll wait for UFC’s decision. I’ll talk to my team and see what we’ll do. But I don’t have anyone in mind. I’ll wait and see the decisions that will be made.
Are you hoping for a quick return, like when you fought Daniel Cormier on just a few days’ notice, or would you rather have a full camp?
I’ll continue working, with calm and patience. In reality, I took that fight with Cormier to help the UFC. It wasn’t something I did for attention or anything like that. It was something to help the UFC because they had done a huge promotion around that fight and Jon Jones ended up removed from the fight. As a UFC fighter and part of the team — like Lorenzo (Fertitta) has mentioned several times that we’re part of a team and have to help each other — I decided to help them.
Feel free to send a message to those who have followed you and waited for the decision of this case over the past few months.
I would like to thank everyone who has been with me for all these years, in bad and good moments. I will definitely come back and try to give my best, as always, to my fans, family, friends, and the ones who cared about showing the truth. That’s what we worked for over the past few months, to put the truth over the table and make it clear that I’ve never used any illegal substance.
He back! He back!
How do you feel now that the USADA has finally proven it was a contained supplement that caused your failed test?
I feel that the most important thing was establishing the truth. The doubt about what really happened was bothering me the most. Some people kept asking me to talk, but I didn’t say absolutely nothing because I wanted the truth to come out. I never needed any type of illegal substance to fight, I’m against that, and thank God the truth was established.
At any point, over the past nine months, did you lose confidence that you would be able to prove your innocence?
No, because I have everything I used. Every supplement, every test. I’ve done a number of doping tests and I had my conscience clear. Thank God everything was solved, and now I can move on and continue (fighting).
Do you fear that some people will still look at you in a different way even though it was proven to be contaminated supplements?
I can’t change people’s opinions. I can go after the truth, like I did, and prove the truth. That’s what I’ve done. Changing people’s opinions, I can’t change that. I have my truth, and that’s what matters to me, to my family, and to everyone around me.
When you had this second failed test, some people stopped considering you in “greatest of all time” discussions. Even though you never put yourself in that position, do you expect to be back in those lists now that you’re cleared?
I can’t say what should or shouldn’t be done. I have my fans in the sport. To me, B.J. (Penn) will continue being the best of all time. He’s someone I admire a lot, I have a huge respect for him. And ‘Minotauro’ (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira), man. These two guys are super heroes of this sport. I can’t talk about me, it’s hard to talk about yourself. I have my history, my legacy, and will continue doing my job, and who knows, one day, when I stop fighting, I can give you a better answer.
At 43 years of age, do you still feel you have what it takes to get to the belt again?
Man, I’m in great shape, I have what it takes to fight anyone, and now I’ll wait for UFC’s decision. I’ll talk to my team and see what we’ll do. But I don’t have anyone in mind. I’ll wait and see the decisions that will be made.
Are you hoping for a quick return, like when you fought Daniel Cormier on just a few days’ notice, or would you rather have a full camp?
I’ll continue working, with calm and patience. In reality, I took that fight with Cormier to help the UFC. It wasn’t something I did for attention or anything like that. It was something to help the UFC because they had done a huge promotion around that fight and Jon Jones ended up removed from the fight. As a UFC fighter and part of the team — like Lorenzo (Fertitta) has mentioned several times that we’re part of a team and have to help each other — I decided to help them.
Feel free to send a message to those who have followed you and waited for the decision of this case over the past few months.
I would like to thank everyone who has been with me for all these years, in bad and good moments. I will definitely come back and try to give my best, as always, to my fans, family, friends, and the ones who cared about showing the truth. That’s what we worked for over the past few months, to put the truth over the table and make it clear that I’ve never used any illegal substance.
He back! He back!
