Women’s mixed martial artist Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has finally publicly responded to her positive Winstrol test result. The response came in the form of a “steroid awareness speech” filmed by MMAPrime.tv. Santos, addressing the camera in Portuguese, said she does not condone the use of anabolic steroids because steroids are a “horrible thing.”
Santos tested positive for Winstrol metabolites during the Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal in San Diego on December 17, 2011. She denied knowingly and intentionally using anabolic steroids. She explained that the positive steroid test resulted from her consumption of a weight loss supplement provided by a member of her camp.
“I did not know it was a steroid,” she said. “I made a mistake in trusting someone in my camp. People say the only way I have gotten to where I am now is the use of drugs,” she said. “They say I am a cheater. That’s not true. I just made the mistake of taking something that was supposed to help me lose weight.”
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) suspended Santos for twelve months and fined her $2500. Her Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Championship title was taken away from her. Santos defeat of challenger Hiroko Yamanaka was recorded as “no contest”.
Santos is scheduled to appeal her suspension at a CSAC hearing on April 9, 2012. She hopes to have her suspension reduced and will likely seek to fight the current women’s MMA darling, Ronda Rousey.
After Santos failed steroid test was announced, Rousey said she always suspected Cyborg was a steroid user due to the muscularity of her physique.
“I have mixed emotions of Cyborg being caught cheating because I know everyone knew she was cheating and I wanted to make an example of her because you don’t need to take steroids to win,” Rousey told the “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo”. “I think her getting caught is a great thing too.”
Source:
Nate, K. (March 28, 2012). Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos Blames ‘Someone In Camp’ For Positive Steroids Test. Retrieved from http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/3/28/2909237/mma-video-cristiane-cyborg-santos-steroids-statement-strikeforce
MMAPrime.tv (March 26, 2012). Cris Cyborg Steroid Awareness Speech. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/BBwecBriOhQ
