Known out-of-competition drug tests snag 31 percent of UFC fighters

[Mad Dog]

It looks like the OOC testing is going to pay dividends. Guys will be more hesitant to cheat going forward with so many guys getting caught!

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Since out-of-competition drug testing ramped up in December 2013, a high percentage of UFC fighters have been caught using banned substances.
Although early tests didn’t produce failures, a slew of positives has again brought focus to a drug problem in the sport.
Of 16 UFC fighters known to have been subject to enhanced testing, five – or 31 percent – have been flagged for performance-enhancers or drugs of abuse.
All but one of the fighters were caught prior to competing in UFC events regulated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which in December 2013 contracted with the Sports Medicine Research & Testing Laboratory, a WADA-approved facility.
The NSAC began working with the SMRTL after boxing promoter Bob Arum paid to test a fight between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez in October 2013. Beginning in May 2008, the commission tested athletes out-of-competition, in particular those who’d previously tested positive for banned substances, but it did not conduct multiple tests or utilize tests – such as CIR (carbon isotope ratio) – to detect synthetic testosterone.
Here’s a look at what’s happened since testing efforts ramped up:

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[Stillmatic]

We doubled down on this thread!!

 

[Γαλάνης]

Lol.. And the thing is, it's mostly main eventers that are given the random testing.

Just imagine what would happen if this was somehow done for every fighter on every card?

IMO, if they truly want to rid the sport of PEDs (obviously they don't)... then your sole option is to give a 1 strike life time ban. They already did it to Wanderlei, sadly, despite never actually testing positive for anything in his career.. but one strike warranted a life time ban.

Yet they repeatedly license steroid abusers of the past.

 

[Mad Dog]

Lol.. And the thing is, it's mostly main eventers that are given the random testing.

Just imagine what would happen if this was somehow done for every fighter on every card?

IMO, if they truly want to rid the sport of PEDs (obviously they don't)... then your sole option is to give a 1 strike life time ban. They already did it to Wanderlei, sadly, despite never actually testing positive for anything in his career.. but one strike warranted a life time ban.

Yet they repeatedly license steroid abusers of the past.

Honestly, why do OOC testing at all if you don't care about roids?
I think this OOC testing is the best chance of cleaning it up.

 

[Wild]

Honestly, why do OOC testing at all if you don't care about roids?
I think this OOC testing is the best chance of cleaning it up.

I personally think the only reason they do it, is to try and curve public perception. Dana and Lorenzo don't give a shit about AAS or the fighters. Just my opinion.


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[Pitbull9]

Shit why would they care Lorenzo is blasting away on something lol

 

[Mad Dog]

I personally think the only reason they do it, is to try and curve public perception. Dana and Lorenzo don't give a shit about AAS or the fighters. Just my opinion.


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Then why add another layer of OOC testing? Look at the problems it is causing aready.

I think they are trying to clean it up.

 

[Shy Guy]

That's a pretty alarming number.


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[Wild]

Then why add another layer of OOC testing? Look at the problems it is causing aready.

I think they are trying to clean it up.

. Who knows, but I highly doubt it's because they care about the sport or the fighters. My guess is their agenda somehow comes back to public perception, political pressure, or some sort of financial gain on the back end.


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[Mad Dog]

That's a pretty alarming number.


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Agreed and I think some guys will be scared straight. It's clear you can't cheat as easily anymore. Guys like Chael, Wand, Vitor, Jones, Anderson Silva. These are big names getting caught with OOC testing.

It's a new era. Adapt or fail.

 

[Rico_Cutler]

I personally think the only reason they do it, is to try and curve public perception. Dana and Lorenzo don't give a shit about AAS or the fighters. Just my opinion.


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Ya I think its a money grab and also to try and make it seem like they are cleaning up the sport.

 

[Γαλάνης]

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/1/1/...mpetition-drug

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...n-drug-testing

"What we'll do is we'll help fund it, so they can do more drug testing," he said. "Our legal department screwed that whole thing up. We've got no business handling the regulation."

2 days before they "knew" Jones coke results... 9 days before Anderson tested positive

Less than 2 weeks before the UFC's 2 biggest and most dominant stars pop positive for the biggest drug scandals ever in MMA.

EVERYTHING is coincidence though, right?

It's a coincidence that the lab took forever to get Anderson's results back to the commission, while Diaz's results were not just immediately available but they retested him several times until the day of the fight solely to get a negative sample. It's a coincidence that the UFC decided to stop doing their own testing a week before the 2 biggest scandals ever. It's a coincidence Anderson was administered with those drugs and he knew nothing about it. It's a coincidence that the UFC's owner Lorenzo is a gigantic HGH monster. It's a coincidence that 3 Black House members including Anderson popped for the same drug.... It's also coincidence that Black House's Stength Coach is a shriveled up raisin, 57 year old body builder who is juiced to the gills.

Now, instead of the UFC taking the bullet, it's all on the commission - who will be paid handsomely in fines for all of this no doubt.

Lol

 

[Γαλάνης]

Agreed and I think some guys will be scared straight. It's clear you can't cheat as easily anymore. Guys like Chael, Wand, Vitor, Jones, Anderson Silva. These are big names getting caught with OOC testing.

It's a new era. Adapt or fail.

Why don't you take the # of fighters that have had OOC drug testing - 16 (which costs tens of thousands of dollars) and then take the # of fighters that have NOT had it since 2014 started - 500+ guys.

You're telling me that 16 guys being tested out of over 500 is the dawn of a new era? Lol

I don't think many guys have anything to worry about unless they are an elite top fighter who happens to be fighting in Nevada. If you are.. well then, you might look like Johny Hendricks ever since he got off the gear - slow, tired, and without that KO power.

Seriously do you realize how misleading this headline is? "31 percent of UFC fighters".. No, it's 31% of 16 people.

So 5 guys tested positive. There are over 500 on the roster. 1%, literally, have been caught. More guys have been caught failing a post fight drug test every year than an out of competition one. Wanna spin that? The consensus is that close to 90% or more of guys are on gear. 16 guys getting tested out of 500+ somehow is something to cheer about?

 

[Zeph]

I personally think the only reason they do it, is to try and curve public perception. Dana and Lorenzo don't give a shit about AAS or the fighters. Just my opinion.


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This is my thoughts as well.

 

[WEWEREONABREAK]

It's not about the testing, it's about you jumping through their hoops. That's why Wand is banned for life. He didn't kiss the ring and play the game and that, to them, is the worst thing a peasant, excuse me.... a fighter... can do.

 

[Bluesville]

They tested 5 guys. It's hardly a comprehensive study.

 

[Mad Dog]

Why don't you take the # of fighters that have had OOC drug testing - 16 (which costs tens of thousands of dollars) and then take the # of fighters that have NOT had it since 2014 started - 500+ guys.

You're telling me that 16 guys being tested out of over 500 is the dawn of a new era? Lol

I don't think many guys have anything to worry about unless they are an elite top fighter who happens to be fighting in Nevada. If you are.. well then, you might look like Johny Hendricks ever since he got off the gear - slow, tired, and without that KO power.

Seriously do you realize how misleading this headline is? "31 percent of UFC fighters".. No, it's 31% of 16 people.

So 5 guys tested positive. There are over 500 on the roster. 1%, literally, have been caught. More guys have been caught failing a post fight drug test every year than an out of competition one. Wanna spin that? The consensus is that close to 90% or more of guys are on gear. 16 guys getting tested out of 500+ somehow is something to cheer about?

I think it's a positive beginning. They just need to expand it further to cover even more fighters. It's obvious that this system will work when they expand it.

 

[Mad Dog]

They tested 5 guys. It's hardly a comprehensive study.

They tested 16 so far in OOC testing. Chael, Vitor, Anderson, Wand, Bones have been caught so far. Not a bad start.

 

[Pitbull9]

If you keep testing these guys we are all fucked there will be no more MMA lol. Or they will just find new ways to beat the tests. THE CREME!!!!!!!!!!! lol

 

[Mad Dog]

If you keep testing these guys we are all fucked there will be no more MMA lol. Or they will just find new ways to beat the tests. THE CREME!!!!!!!!!!! lol

I'm hoping that it will eventually work as a deterrent. Nobody wants to lose a years pay from suspension.

 

[Mad Dog]

If you keep testing these guys we are all fucked there will be no more MMA lol. Or they will just find new ways to beat the tests. THE CREME!!!!!!!!!!! lol

 

[Pitbull9]

^HAHAHAHAHAH

 

[Zeph]

If you keep testing these guys we are all fucked there will be no more MMA lol. Or they will just find new ways to beat the tests. THE CREME!!!!!!!!!!! lol

I think there is a serious argument to be made that the guys who have been caught are the guys who competed or grew up in the sport during the dark ages. There was no regulation then and the main promotion was in fact promoting steroid use, since there are numerous anecdotal stories where Japanese promoters have asked guys to go on steroids to increase their muscle mass to fight certain guys. To then put these guys into a system where steroid use is not only frowned upon, but actively hunted and penalized, when they have previously destroyed their own ability to create test, either through coercion or because there was no testing, that they are in an unfair situation where they either find loopholes like TRT, or cheat just to stay at the level they were competing at.

Now we are in the position where younger guys are getting into the sport and seeing everyone already on this stuff, and extolling the obvious virtues, that it is almost like holding candy in front of child, of course they are going to be grabbing at it, but not only because it offers that tasty, tasty candy, but because everyone else around them has that candy and they don't want to be left out.

This new wave of testing is a good first step into making a cleaner sport and I say cleaner because it will never be clean. As long as someone wants to do better at something and has money, they will find ways to cheat, it is up to the rest of the community to minimize the possibility to get away with this and the rewards if they are caught. However, it will take expansion of this new type of testing throughout the UFC and possibly into the number of feeder orgs that are directly below the UFC to put a real dent into it in the long time. Not only this, but it will take time. Time to change the culture, time to change the perceived ease with which you can get away with it and time to be fair to the guys who started in this sport when it was essentially the wild west.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think there is a serious argument to be made that the guys who have been caught are the guys who competed or grew up in the sport during the dark ages. There was no regulation then and the main promotion was in fact promoting steroid use, since there are numerous anecdotal stories where Japanese promoters have asked guys to go on steroids to increase their muscle mass to fight certain guys. To then put these guys into a system where steroid use is not only frowned upon, but actively hunted and penalized, when they have previously destroyed their own ability to create test, either through coercion or because there was no testing, that they are in an unfair situation where they either find loopholes like TRT, or cheat just to stay at the level they were competing at.

Now we are in the position where younger guys are getting into the sport and seeing everyone already on this stuff, and extolling the obvious virtues, that it is almost like holding candy in front of child, of course they are going to be grabbing at it, but not only because it offers that tasty, tasty candy, but because everyone else around them has that candy and they don't want to be left out.

This new wave of testing is a good first step into making a cleaner sport and I say cleaner because it will never be clean. As long as someone wants to do better at something and has money, they will find ways to cheat, it is up to the rest of the community to minimize the possibility to get away with this and the rewards if they are caught. However, it will take expansion of this new type of testing throughout the UFC and possibly into the number of feeder orgs that are directly below the UFC to put a real dent into it in the long time. Not only this, but it will take time. Time to change the culture, time to change the perceived ease with which you can get away with it and time to be fair to the guys who started in this sport when it was essentially the wild west.

Well said!!

 

[Pitbull9]

I think new fighter or athletes in any sport in general see what it sometimes takes to get to the top (Gear) and they will do whatever is necessary to get there. It is still the wild west in all sports some have bullshit i will let you know waaaaaay ahead of time a test is coming, and some will try to do better but as we have seen it will always be in sports. You dont think 90 percent of NFL players are using shit, they sure as fuck are lol.