Dan Henderson’s use of testosterone replacement therapy has loomed in the build-up to his UFC 151 title bout with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
On Tuesday, it all came out in the open, as Jones was asked during a media conference call about the soon-to-be-42-year-old challenger’s Nevada Athletic Commission-approved usage of the controversial treatment.
And the 24-year old champion didn’t mince words.
“Well, I’m not sure I should go there now,” said Jones. “Basically, I believe that if you’re healthy enough to play a sport, you shouldn’t take any performance enhancing drugs or anything or testosterone. Fighters make a lot of money in their 20s, they make a lot of money in their 30s, and then when you get in your 40s, unfortunately, you’re in your 40s. When you’re looking to stay in the game, I don’t I think you should take a drug that gives you the strength of a 30-year-old again.
“That’s like me saying, oh, I’m not as fast-twitch as I was when I was 20, let me take something to be 20 again. I think things like TRT, and steroids are things should be for the normal people who really need it and not athletes. I think if you’re an athlete you’re an athlete, you shouldn’t use anything for enhancement.”
The question came during the closing moments of a nearly hour-long call, and after Jones responded, the debate moderator announced the next question would be the call’s last. Unfortunately, the tone-deaf final questioner instead asked Henderson about goings-on at Team Quest, so Henderson didn’t get a chance to reply to Jones about TRT.
But with 12 days left between now and fight time, the question’s sure to come up again.