UFC fighters will have to inform USADA of whereabouts three months in advance under new anti-doping

[La Paix]

E. Casey Leydon, MMA Fighting

A fighter's location at almost all times must be accounted for under the UFC's new anti-doping program.

UFC athletes will need to inform USADA of their whereabouts three months in advance under the promotion's new drug-testing program, UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky told Ariel Helwani on last Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. If a fighter does not fill out or inaccurately fills out the online form multiple times, he or she could face sanctions.

Novitzky said that fighters will be required to fill out their whereabouts over the coming months every quarter with a USADA website tool. Fighters will then be instructed to download a mobile app to update their location if any changes need to be made. Novitzky said USADA expects fighters to inform them of where they'll be staying overnight and where they will be during the day (at a gym, job or school, etc.), so they can be subjected to random, out-of-competition drug testing.

"It is an inconvenience, but it's necessary," Novitzky said. "In order to run a good program and be able to test 365 days a year, it's one of the sacrifices our athletes need to make, so that they can tell the world that we have the strongest anti-doping program in it."


The new UFC exec said the process is user friendly and updating through the mobile app takes "20 to 30 seconds." Novitzky added that USADA has plenty of experience using this system with its Olympic athletes.

If a fighter does not fill out his or her information or punches in incorrect data with regards to his or her whereabouts in the system, that fighter could face sanctions, Novitzky said. A fighter will get three strikes over a rolling, 12-month period and on the third strike he or she could be disciplined.


"This program wants to catch the intentional cheaters," Novitzky said. "But we also have to have things in place so that if an athlete says, 'I'm not gonna fill out my whereabouts or it's not gonna be accurate, I don't really care about it,' we need to prevent that from happening."

UFC fighters will have to inform USADA of whereabouts three months in advance under new anti-doping program - MMA Fighting

 

[RickStorm]

Geeze!
I think this is going to require more money to the fighters.

 

[delightone]

Hmmm not a fan of this, i think this is huge impact on a fighters privacy.

 

[Sweets]

Seems reasonable enough, I doubt it is day to day movements they want more travel plans etc...

 

[ThatOneDude]

I thought he said the exact opposite on JRE or maybe I just misunderstood

 

[dacofty]

I just wanna see that its policed properly and that ALL the fighters are treated the same and no one of them are "exempt" if you get my drift

 

[ThatOneDude]

I just wanna see that its policed properly and that ALL the fighters are treated the same and no one of them are "exempt" if you get my drift

Well the 3 strikes rule will be abused I bet. They need an ankle monitor on Vitor.

 

[Robbie Hart]

I just wanna see that its policed properly and that ALL the fighters are treated the same and no one of them are "exempt" if you get my drift

Except if you "fail" the smell test

 

[dacofty]

Well as long as each and every one is smelled then right on. But i still say theres a few thats gonna be let off easy

 

[Robbie Hart]

If I remember correctly from said podcast, this is to close the window on cheaters, so how do you do that?
You work with an internationally credentialed org - "oh, I'm going to Sweden and won't be around". No problem, thanks for letting us know, we have 100 guys credentialed in Sweden.....did you want to pick another country? Oh, we have 100 there also

 

[Shy Guy]

That 10/10 deal is more of a prison sentence than a lucrative pro sports contract.

 

[ChaosOverkill]

Oh boy, event continuity is going to be zero next year. Injuries are going to skyrocket.

I guess one way or another.

 

[Sweets]

Oh boy, event continuity is going to be zero next year. Injuries are going to skyrocket.

I guess one way or another.

It should only take a year for everyone to get weaned off, deal with the mental and physichal chaos that causes and the cream will rise again. Guy's who used will still retain some benefit it will work out well..

 

[ChaosOverkill]

It should only take a year for everyone to get weaned off, deal with the mental and physichal chaos that causes and the cream will rise again. Guy's who used will still retain some benefit it will work out well..

Yeah that's why I only really said a year, but it could be beyond ugly.

 

[Sweets]

Yeah that's why I only really said a year, but it could be beyond ugly.

Could be, but I doubt it. A lot of them have cut back on the juice lately and it hasn't been injury city. Smarter training will prevail this could be a great thing for skill level.

 

[ChaosOverkill]

Could be, but I doubt it. A lot of them have cut back on the juice lately and it hasn't been injury city. Smarter training will prevail this could be a great thing for skill level.

No, not as a result of cutting the juice I mean as a result of not being able to navigate the new rules before there's an inevitable adjustment on something which is the other part of the proliferation of use, "injuries" on top of catching more people on taints and mistake that actually could result as a result of adjustment to new solutions or trying to get creative. There's always a segment that is resolute to keep the juice regardless or some part of the process like Aldo proclaimed. Adjustment over all for a year will take casualties IMO as it is supposed to, just occuring to me it's probably going to be ugly

 

[BeardOfKnowledge]

That 10/10 deal is more of a prison sentence than a lucrative pro sports contract.

This. They're going to have fighters on call 24/7, even when they don't have a fight scheduled, for a whopping $0 in guaranteed money? That's ridiculous.

 

[ECC170]

Lombard made reservations for Cuba...Him and Fidel are meting for a fresh Cuban stuffed with some of Conans finest

 

[Sweets]

No, not as a result of cutting the juice I mean as a result of not being able to navigate the new rules which is the other part of the proliferation of use, "injuries" on top of catching more people on taints and mistake that actually happen on the lower ranks.

Oh yes.. The old 'injuries', ye that's a problem in tennis from what I can make out, guy's getting an 'injury' and heading off for 'treatment' at some shady Dr in the Canaries. I agree that will become an issue.

All the more reason for a union someone needs to make sure guys are educated on supplements and the like.

 

[ChaosOverkill]

Oh yes.. The old 'injuries', ye that's a problem in tennis from what I can make out, guy's getting an 'injury' and heading off for 'treatment' at some shady Dr in the Canaries. I agree that will become an issue.

All the more reason for a union someone needs to make sure guys are educated on supplements and the like.

Yup agreed as well as advocate in the case of actual mistakes or shady overstepping that may occur on version 1 of this

 

[Sweets]

Yup agreed as well as advocate in the case of actual mistakes.

The policy is pretty tight on mistakes though the athlete is expected to know and check all of the products they consume. They need someone to advocate in general. The current situation saddens me.

 

[ChaosOverkill]

The policy is pretty tight on mistakes though the athlete is expected to know and check all of the products they consume. They need someone to advocate in general. The current situation saddens me.

Right the only type of thing I mean is like an inhaled steroid that cost a Hockey player cause he was an idiot with it but in an Asthma emergency for example and your inhaler emptied or you lost it that day or something stupid, if facts can be established I don't think someone should fail for having an Advair dose IF FACTS CAN BE ESTABLISHED. IF it's still shady, you pay but there's the .001 contingency on that, that can happen. It's up to the advocate to decide whether it is worth appealing if they have some facts to present.

 

[Sweets]

Right the only type of thing I mean is like an inhaled steroid that cost a Hockey player cause he was an idiot with it but in an Asthma emergency for example and your inhaler emptied or you lost it that day or something stupid, if facts can be established I don't think someone should fail for having an Advair dose IF FACTS CAN BE ESTABLISHED.

Ah ye once someone has a history they should be good. It'll be interesting to see what 'underlying conditions' pop up.

 

[kneeblock]

Why is it unimportant to set the standard of the most well compensated athletes in sports but extremely important to have the most well tested athletes?

 

[delightone]

Why is unimportant to set the standard of the most well compensated athletes in sports but extremely important to have the most well tested athletes?

One hurts the fighters they don't give shit about no biggie.
The other hurts the brand and there cashflow that's a pretty important thing if you need boston snow in las vegas at christmas time.