BJ Penn is so adamant about he Voluntary Anti-Doping Association administering drug testing for his UFC 152 headlining bout with Rory MacDonald, he’s willing to foot the bill.
That is, with one condition: the drug test results must be kept confidential until after the fight, Penn told MMA Junkie.
Penn explained that his offer came about when it was apparent that he and VADA officials were not on the same page on when the drug test results should be released.
“This isn’t an amateur sport. What I expressed to VADA was that results need to be released after the fight, but VADA wants to do it before the fight, and I said, ‘I’m not trying to put the UFC’s fight in danger by doing that.’ I said, ‘What’s the problem? Let’s do the results after the fight.”
While some argue that this condition would all but guarantee VADA services are not utilized, Penn says that it’s not his place to possibly cancel a bout he is not promoting.
“I’m not trying to put any pressure on Dana White. He has nothing to do with this. When the anti-doping agency can come on friendly terms and be more welcome with a company like the UFC, I think that’s what they should do, and I don’t know why they’re waiting and pushing this to take longer.”
Penn also added that “it doesn’t do any good for [UFC co-owners] Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta to put millions of dollars into marketing a fight that could get canceled.”
Penn said he has been in contact with Victor Conte, the founder of Balco Labs and “heavily involved with Vada” according to “The Prodigy.”
However, according to Conte‘s Twitter, he is less than impressed with Penn’s latest offer.
“@bjpenndotcom Seems to be a huge amount of fear regarding somebody testing positive for drugs before your fight with Rory? Yet NO testing?”
VADA has not recently been involved in high-profile MMA fights, but have been responsible for a couple of marquee boxing match ups being cancelled.
Recently, Lamont Peterson was forced out of a planned May bout with Amir Khan and Andre Berto was pulled from a planned June matchup with Victor Ortiz after they failed VADA screenings.
According to the bylaws established by VADA, athletes who agree to their terms are subject to unannounced drug testing during the eight weeks prior to the fight.
The fighters also agree to have the drug testing results submitted to the athletic commission overseeing the event.
Is Penn’s suggestion a good one or is he taking a good idea and watering it down to something unfeasible?
UFC 152 is scheduled for Sept. 22 where the 22-year-old MacDonald will have a home field advantage at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.
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