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Dennis Siver Gets Nine-Month Suspension, $19,800 Fine for Failed UFC 168 Drug Test

Dennis Siver Returns From Suspension, Faces Robert Whiteford at UFC Fight Night 53

UFC featherweight Dennis Siver was fined and suspended on Thursday by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

The commission voted unanimously to suspend Siver for nine months, fined him $19,800 (30 percent of his fight purse), and changed his UFC 168 victory over Manny Gamburyan to a no contest result after having failed his post-fight drug test for the bout.

The commission also required Siver to reimburse Nevada for the cost of the failed test, as well as for the cost of the interpreter the provided for his hearing on Thursday.

Siver tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hGC) following the Dec. 28 bout in Las Vegas.

hCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic. As a prescription medication, hCG is used mainly to treat fertility issues. It has also been used to treat anabolic steroid induced hypogonadism, as it can stimulate testosterone production, according to the National Institute of Health.

Siver issued a statement in March following the revelation of the positive test, saying that he did not knowingly ingest the banned substance, but explained that it was due to a mix-up with a new trainer he hired because his longtime coach, Niko Sulenta, could not assist him as he was diagnosed with “severe cancer.”

“I do not want to blame anyone for this result and I take full responsibility for my gullible and careless behavior,” said Siver. “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.”

As a final condition of his suspension, Siver will have to pass a drug test if he hopes to apply for a license in Nevada in the future.

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