MMA Legend BJ Penn recently decided to come out of retirement to face Rory MacDonald, and both fighters agreed to undergo a drug screening protocol administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). MacDonald suffered an injury that put the bout in limbo, but the gentleman's agreement on stringent testing introduced in this scenario could easily be mandated throughout the UFC and potentially across all MMA leagues.
Canada's Maximum Fighting Championships is a much smaller MMA circuit, but they managed to put together a plan for random drug testing starting this October. That testing will be done in conjunction with the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission.
MFC Owner/President Mark Pavelich explained the move during an appearance on “The Jason Gregor Show.”
“It’s been talked about for a long time with many commissions. Usually it’s been a matter of money – the commissions not wanting to do testing because of the cost,” said Pavelich. “But working with the Edmonton Commission, we’ve found a way to make it cost-effective, and most important, it’s going to be something consistent. When testing athletes the message has to be consistent – don’t cheat because you will be caught, and now it will be sooner rather than later.”
Pavelich added that he believes as many as 50% of active MMA fighters are currently using something that is prohibited.
“You are seeing more and more fighters getting caught and that is good for the sport,” Pavelich suggested. “The MFC and any Commission we work with are not out to get anyone. I would just like to see illegal substances out of the sport, and those who use them be penalized for doing so.”
Zuffa President and Part-Owner Dana White mentioned in past interviews that the company might consider random drug testing in the future, but there's been no formal effort to follow through. These days White can't even seem to make up his mind about his position on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) use in MMA. This week White put his stamp of approval on TRT after going on the record with ESPN last month and calling for the treatment to be outlawed. "If you don't abuse stuff younger in your career, you'll never need to use that junk," White argued in the ESPN segment. "The Baldfather" is now claiming he is only against the abuse of testosterone therapy and actually approves responsible use.
During an interview on the Fox Sports Program "MMA Intensity" this week White completely reversed course on his previous commentary. "As sports medicine continues to advance, this is one of those things where every guy's testosterone level starts to drop as they get older, and this is basically sports science now where they can bring it back up to a normal level. And I think it's great. It's absolutely fair. It's legal," White said. "The problem is there are guys who say, 'If this much is good THIS MUCH must be great.' So you have guys who are always trying to do more than they're supposed to do. The big job is policing it, making sure that it's not being abused, that guys are using it the way it's supposed to be used."
The "big job" White talks about is yet to be done under the Zuffa banner with the various state and foreign athletic commissions performing the bulk of competition-based testing as it stands. Sometimes the UFC is even tasked with performing their own testing for cards held in areas where there are no formal athletic commissions. Though the Nevada State Athletic Commission implemented a random drug test protocol for Heavyweight Alistair Overeem earlier this year, it was only a result of Overeem missing a previously scheduled test. The elevated 14-to-1 testosterone levels found this past April in Overeem's system were more than twice the allowed limit (6-1). The incident is proof that random testing does work to curtail abuse of the anabolic steroid.
Zuffa does test newly-signed fighters and contestants appearing on The Ultimate Fighter, but outside of athletic commission mandates there is no program or any real concrete plan in place to police their athletes in and out of competition. Since many fighters who use TRT without exemptions are utilizing the therapy to overcome injuries, testing before and after fights may not go far enough to catch people training with dangerously elevated testosterone levels.
At the last Zuffa Fighters Summit in Las Vegas, the company's Executive Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence Epstein outlined the formal written drug policy put in place by Zuffa, which was simply a continuation of a previous policy. Under the constraints of the policy, both Strikeforce and the UFC are bound to follow the guidelines drafted by the same law firm that advises the National Football League on performance enhancing drugs. There is no mention in that policy of random testing protocols.
"PED and banned substance usage harms the integrity of the sport, potentially compromises the safety of our athletes, raises concerns for both short and long-term health issues and sends an improper message to our fanbase," Epstein told gathered fighters at the summit. "We will continue to be at the forefront of this issue. And we will continue to work with athletic commissions and other bodies to ensure -- to the fullest extent possible -- that testing procedures keep pace with scientific advancements regarding the identification and detection of prohibited substances."
So far it seems talk is cheap for Zuffa brass. The promotion could easily build a strong partnership with VADA if it was really that important to the company to keep banned substances away from their athletes. Instead, it is obvious that looking the other way is more convenient. Fights don't get cancelled that way, and marquee fighters don't get suspended for months on end.
Zuffa could potentially cause their own company serious financial harm if a random drug testing program were to become the standard only to reveal a chronic epidemic that may now only remain hidden because there are no random tests. On the other hand, the company may also benefit greatly from more fighters using banned substances under the radar. This is a promotion where fighters are often fired for losing too much or fighting without enough passion and intensity. Every fighter wanting to stick around under those conditions and prosper under that banner has to concentrate on putting together "exciting" performances in the cage. It's simply not enough to just win anymore. Fights have to be dynamic and full of energy for the combatants to earn lucrative bonuses and/or generate upward movement in their respective weight classes. The pressure to put on a show is immense, and Zuffa's top brass is obviously aware many fighters will do whatever it takes to please management. This includes taking banned substances on the sly to train and fight in a manner that lives up to the high standards Zuffa sets.
MMA is still a very young sport, and there is really no hard evidence to examine as far as the real toll a typical career takes on a fighter's overall health. However, there have been plenty of studies and analysis done to prove what PEDs can do to an athlete over the course of repeated and regular usage. It is not enough for Zuffa to have health insurance in place to take care of injured fighters. If the company really does care about the well being of their bread and butter sportsmen (and women), they should also put random drug testing in place for all fighters in the system. Tests should be completed during training, before and after fights, and even outside of training and competition. Without that kind of testing framework, those who do eventually have to turn to TRT because of past steroid abuse will never have to confront their real problems and will be handed an opportunity to simply cover their abuse up with legal therapy. Random drug testing is the answer, even if it isn't cost-effective for Zuffa.
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