A day after former light heavyweight champ Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson revealed that he’s been undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for the last month, UFC president Dana White weighed in on his promotions stance on the use of TRT as well as the use of steroids in general.
Immediately the names Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt spring to mind as both fighters were suffered severe consequences for their use of testosterone therapy. Sonnen received a six month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission and was not awarded a license even after the suspension which would have allowed him to compete as a coach on “TUF 14″. While Marquardt was released from the UFC on weigh-in day for UFC on Versus 4 following tests which showed he had high levels of testosterone. Marquardt failed to acquire a Theraputic Use Exemption from the Pennsylvania commission and was subsequently suspended.
Since that time the UFC promotion has adopted a new policy where they test all new fighters who wish to sign with the promotion, testing for steroid use as well as other banned substances.
“If its legal, if you can do it and the athletic commission allows you to do it and you come in at the right levels, what kind of stance am I going to take on it?” he said when asked whether he has any issues with use of TRT by fighters.
“But what we are doing right now, and I don’t know if you know this, but out new policy is if you come in and you sign a new deal with us you get tested for everything. And if you test positive you are not going to get signed by the UFC.
“… The athletic commission regulates what these guys do and how they do it. What we do is when guys come in and sign new contracts we test these guys and we also test guys who come in to The Ultimate Fighter. Guys who come into The Ultimate Fighter, we test them before they even get on the show.
“… It does so much damage to a professional athlete, there is no way in hell we want guys coming and doing this stuff. The problem is, it happens. Its happening out there. What we want to try and do is stop this before it gets to a point where young guys get damaged that could have gone on and had great careers in the UFC.”
Check out the rest of White’s comments at FightersOnly.co.uk