[ad_1]
UFC veterans Thiago Santos and Yoel Romero are set to collide on the PFL vs. Bellator pay-per-view on Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia, and Santos is joyful to be again after an sudden doping suspension prematurely ended his debut season with PFL.
Santos misplaced a choice to Rob Wilkinson this previous April in his promotional debut, nevertheless each athletes ended up testing optimistic for banned substances. Wilkinson popped optimistic for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, whereas Santos’ drug-screening outcomes got here again optimistic for clomiphene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator.
“It was a mistake I made for trusting the physician,” Santos stated on MMA Preventing’s Trocação Franca podcast. “I’ve by no means taken something [illegal]. I even have the USADA jacket [for 50 clean tests]. I spoke with the physician, I wished one thing that might assist me as a result of I’m 40 and whatnot, and he prescribed me a complement. He stated it wouldn’t give me any drawback with USADA and I trusted him. I didn’t examine something, this man is a health care provider. I used to be very stunned after I [failed the drug test].”
Santos was given a six-month suspension, and stated he’s realized a lesson now.
“USADA doesn’t wish to know,” Santos stated. “What you set in your physique is your accountability, and sadly, that’s how it’s, however they’ve given me the shortest suspension attainable, six months. It was a mistake I made for trusting different folks, however it’s what it’s. My conscience is obvious.”
“It wasn’t testosterone or any of that,” he added. “I didn’t use something to cheat. My opponent, nevertheless, was caught with testosterone. He talked a bunch of crap about me, he’s youthful than me, and was caught with testosterone.”
The Brazilian now returns attempting to find his first win within the PFL cage towards Romero, a former coaching accomplice who went 2-2 in Bellator following a memorable 9-4 UFC run. In his most up-to-date look, Romero got here up brief in his gentle heavyweight title bout towards Vadim Nemkov in June.
“Romero is a legend of the game and I’m actually proud of this battle,” Santos stated. “Now we have a superb relationship. We skilled collectively a few years in the past. I’ve helped him in lots of camps since I joined American Prime Group, additionally went to his fitness center to coach with him, however that was six, seven years in the past, and by no means imagined that sooner or later I’d battle him. Right here we at the moment are, and I’m very proud of this chance.”
Santos stated he by no means “sparred going one hundred pc” with Romero within the fitness center and feels that coaching good is among the explanation why “Soldier of God” continues to compete on the highest degree months away from turning 47. As for the matchup, “Marreta” stated “there’s no thriller” as to what both man goes to aim contained in the cage.
“He’s a wrestler that doesn’t use his wrestling that a lot,” Santos stated. “He likes to strike typically, however he’s nonetheless an Olympic-level wrestler and we are able to’t rule that out. It’s a conflict of kinds. Every one in all us will attempt to do what we do greatest. I’m a striker and everyone is aware of I prefer to preserve it on the ft, I gained’t attempt to wrestle with an Olympic-level wrestler. We clearly prepare the whole lot, he trains placing and I prepare wrestling, however we’ll look to do what’s greatest for us. There’s no thriller right here.”
[ad_2]
Source link
