Performance-enhancing drugs have been landing some of MMA’s prominent fighters in hot water recently, and UFC president Dana White is hoping to put an end to it as soon as possible.
The outspoken boss recently sat down for an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Times to discuss the impact that PEDs have had on the sport and how he intends to stop it.
“The steroid, [performance-enhancing drug] thing affects the whole sport. The key is to make sure these guys never get on it, because once they do, they change,” White told the Los Angeles Times.
Ahead of this weekend’s upcoming event, UFC 146 in Las Vegas, the company originally scheduled a headliner between two of the sport’s dominant heavyweights in Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.
But Overeem would be replaced by UFC veteran Frank Mir after the Dutchman failed his pre-fight drug test.
The negative publicity Overeem’s drug test brought upon the UFC has prompted White to take immediate action and assure that the company institutes a clean, drug-free environment.
“We’re going to do our own testing, order these guys into [a lab]; we’re sorting it out now. You have to do this to save the sport,” he said.
“You can’t have these guys fighting on this stuff.”
Say what you will about how White conducts himself in front of the media, but when it comes to protecting his brand’s image, he will do whatever it takes to get it done.
His passion for the sport is evident, and by setting up a drug policy for the UFC, White is hoping to provide a safe, clean atmosphere where professional athletes can compete at the highest level without gaining any unfair advantage over their opponents.
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