Updated FEB 26, 2015 12:41a ET  In the annals of mixed martial arts when discussing the greatest fighters of all time the conversation usually starts and stops at two names: Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko.  Silva and Emelianenko were both incredibly dominant at their craft and they ruled the roost of their respective weight classes for dozens of fights over the course of several years.  Unfortunately, Silva's legacy has come into question recently after he tested positive for two separate performance-enhancing drugs for his fight with Nick Diaz at UFC 183. While Silva had never tested positive prior to this occasion, the former middleweight champion had one result come back from Jan. 9 and another on Jan. 31 that showed traces of anabolic steroids in his system.  In the weeks following the positive test results, almost every fighter under the sun has commented about Silva and what this could do to a sterling career that is now marred by controversy. UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey said she was "heartbroken" after hearing that Silva tested positive and could never look at him the same way again.  Apparently the same could be said for Emelianenko, who finally weighed in on Silva's positive test earlier this week in an interview with Fansided where the legendary Russian heavyweight took several hard shots at the former UFC champion.  “It’s extremely upsetting that an athlete of that level actually turned to an aid from drugs to enhance his performance. It’s a slap in the face overall. A slap in the face to the sport and all the fighters in the sport.”  — Fedor Emelianenko on Anderson Silva  "It's extremely upsetting that an athlete of that level actually turned to an aid from drugs to enhance his performance. It's a slap in the face overall. A slap in the face to the sport and all the fighters in the sport," Emelianenko said. "I also feel that an athlete should depend on their skill set, experience and hard work they put in and not have to look to shorten that distance between hard training and the win by using or depending on steroids or any performance enhancing drug.  "Most importantly you have to stay true to yourself as well as those fans who made you who you are as an athlete. And now due to the use of steroids, he has this trademark, I feel, as someone who uses performance-enhancing drugs to win."  Emelianenko, who fought the majority of his career in PRIDE Fighting Championships, even had his own record questioned by UFC color commentator Joe Rogan recently — although the Russian quickly brushed off those accusations by saying the comedian and podcaster "likes to do PR scandals" and he stands by his record as a clean athlete.  The assumption over the years since PRIDE was bought out by the UFC and essentially disbanded was the Japanese promotion never tested for any PEDs. Accusations of drug use have been levied at dozens of fighters who competed under the PRIDE banner, but Emelianenko says the athletes were routinely tested and he never used anything illegal to get an advantage.  "Actually we did get tested for steroids but everyone just assumed that because no one tested positive that there were no steroids," Emelianenko said. "Of course the thought has crossed my mind, and assumptions were made, but it gave me strength to know that my opponent may have had to use something while I put in all of the hard work and long training trying to be a better fighter which is why, with God's help, I was able to win whether my opponent was on steroids or not."  Former UFC heavyweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, who co-hosts The Great MMA Debate on FOX Sports, backed up Emelianenko's claims about drug testing in PRIDE. Coleman fought in PRIDE for several years and was a former heavyweight Grand Prix champion for the promotion.  "We peed in the cup every time after the fight," Coleman said. "I even took a test back in the old days of the UFC, so you don't know."  Whether PRIDE tested fighters enough or at all while the promotion was still running doesn't matter now and it's Silva who is left trying to defend himself while his record and resume continue to come under attack.  As for Emelianenko, who retired from fighting back in 2012, he's happy in his new life away from the sport although he says he is training every day because it's something he loves to do. In terms of a return to the cage, it appears that door has already closed as Emelianenko said he was "100-percent sure" he was never coming back.
Former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko sounds off about Anderson Silva testing positive for performance enhancing drugs and calls it a &quot;slap in the face to the sport&quot; for a fighter routinely regarded as one of the greatest of all time.