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Despite being sidelined indefinitely pending the result of his failed out-of-competition drug test from November, UFC legend Anderson Silva vows he will return to the Octagon as soon as possible. 

Silva, 42, was pulled from his headlining bout in China two months ago against Kelvin Gastelum after being flagged for a potential United States Anti-Doping Agency violation. But in an Instagram post on Sunday, the former middleweight champion reiterated his love for his fans and passion for the sport. 

Quando olho esta foto, percebo o quanto Deus me fortalece sempre me dando luz na minha caminhada. Em uma longa viagem, lembranças fantásticas do tempo em que brincava nas ruas do bairro onde cresci em Curitiba. Tudo que passei, tudo que consegui construir com força de vontade, com determinação e muita honra. Tive o previlégio de colocar o brasão do meu time do coração, de uma certa forma, dar um título mundial pra ele e principalmente, pro meu povo. Só tenho a agradecer a todos vocês por tudo, digo de coração, amo vocês todos que sempre estão me dando forças. Beijo! Amo vocês de verdade, força e honra a todos, independente de time, cor, raça, religião e opção sexual, somos todos irmãos. Obrigado meu povo! Podem ter certeza que ainda não acabou. Meu amor e minha paixão pela luta estão aqui, firmes e fortes. A luta continua, vou parar quando DEUS achar que não dá mais. Então quem é meu fã, pode ter certeza, que logo estou de volta, pra alegria dos que torcem por mim e pra tristeza dos que não kkkkkk beijo . When I look at this photo, I realize how much God strengthens me by always giving me light in my walk. On a long trip, fantastic memories of the time I played in the streets of the neighborhood where I grew up in Curitiba. Everything I've been through, everything I've built with willpower, determination and great honor. I had the privilege of putting the coat of my heart team, in a way, to give a world title to him and especially to my people. I just have to thank you all for everything, I say from my heart, I love you all who are always giving me strength. Kiss! I really love you, strength and honor to all, regardless of team, color, race, religion and sexual choice, we are all brothers. Thank you, my people! You can be sure it's not over yet. My love and my passion for the fight are here, firm and strong. The fight continues, I will stop when GOD thinks I can not do it anymore. So who is my fan, can be sure, that soon I'm back, to the joy of those who cheer for me and to the sadness of those who don’t kkkkkk kiss

A post shared by Anderson "The Spider" Silva (@spiderandersonsilva) on

"Thank you, my people!" Silva wrote. "You can be sure it's not over yet. My love and my passion for the fight are here, firm and strong. The fight continues, I will stop when GOD thinks I can not do it anymore. So who is my fan, can be sure, that soon I'm back, to the joy of those who cheer for me and to the sadness of those who don't."

Silva (34-8, 1 NC) is currently serving a provisional suspension from USADA and could face a full suspension, as a multiple-time offender, pending a formal judgement. His 2015 victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 183 was changed to a no contest after Silva tested positive for a pair of steroids and was suspended one year by the Nevada Athletic Commission. 

Although Silva didn't acknowledge the pending USADA case in the post, he has previously gone public to say he is "working very closely" with the testing agency to determine the reason for the failed test. In recent months, Silva's team revealed speculation that the result was due to a tainted supplement. 

Silva's fall from grace as one of the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters has been steep over the past five years, beginning with his knockout loss to Chris Weidman in their 2013 title bout. His disputed decision win over Derek Brunson last February snapped a five-fight stretch in which Silva was 0-4 with the one no contest. 

The pair of failed tests in the twilight of his career also brought into question the legitimacy of Silva's legendary reign, which included 10 title defenses at 185 pounds -- a UFC record that was broken in 2017 by flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. 

While Silva has been able to produce glimpses of his once dynamic self in recent years as the most exciting striker in UFC history, age has kept him from being able to maintain a consistent pace over the full five minutes of each round. His mid-fight inactivity likely robbed him of a decision against Michael Bisping in their competitive 2016 bout, which opened the door for Bisping to challenge for (and win) the middleweight title.