Author: Evan Center

Amid all the recriminations over “Jessica-gate,” some good news has emerged for those looking to clean up the sport of mixed martial arts: The UFC seems willing to pay for all and any drug testing regulatory bodies require.

The comments made by UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta to Yahoo! Sports journalist Kevin Iole are more far-reaching than any made by the promotion.

In no uncertain terms, Fertitta said the premier MMA promotion would pay for any tests the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) conducted on as many fighters as it wanted, including the more effective and costly Carbon Isotope Ratio (CIR) testing.

The comments were confirmed by new NSAC chairman Francisco Aguilar, who said:

The UFC has been phenomenal to work with in regard to the enhanced testing of the athletes we’re looking to do … At no point has the UFC ever pushed back on any testing request we’ve made … Not only haven’t they pushed back, they’ve been the opposite. They’ve told us they’ve been open to any and all testing and would gladly pay for whatever tests we wanted to do.

The comments come amid the latest drug fiasco involving an MMA fighter, as it was revealed this week that newly signed bantamweight Jessica Eye tested positive for marijuana metabolites after her victory over Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166.

Fertitta’s words could be interpreted as a face-saving exercise amid the unrelenting news of fighters testing positive for drugs, but are, nevertheless, a welcome change from the UFC’s previous, more fatalistic attitude to the situation.

Indeed, in previous comments, UFC president Dana White has told RDS.ca (h/t USA Today‘s Mark Erickson) that it was impossible to do some of the extensive testing many believe is necessary to clean up the sport. That attitude was one reason why former welterweight champion Geroges St. Pierre said he chose to step away from the sport last year.

“It’s like all sports. Where there is money, there are ways to cheat, and it will always be so,” said St. Pierre in January. “But I think we should take steps to minimize those things, because it is not fair. I tried to change things remaining diplomatic. Unfortunately, people were not ready to change.”

That comment was a veiled attack on the UFC, which the Canadian fighter believes failed to support his efforts to instigate enhanced drug testing prior to his championship fight against Johny Hendricks.

That makes Fertitta’s recent comments that much more potent.

Money for drug testing, especially the CIR test, has been the barrier to cleaning up the sport. Only three years ago, the NSAC said budget cuts would mean that out-of-competition testing would be impossible. That means it’s necessary for a third party, such as the UFC, which runs the upper echelons of the sport, to step in and take up the slack.

Whether the promotion will follow through with its offer remains to be seen.

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The prevalence of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is no secret, and almost every fighter has a view on it, including UFC light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

However, Rumble’s recent comments to a reporter are only refreshing in their honesty and not in substance.

Speaking to SiriusXM’s TapouT Radio (h/t Michael Stets of MMA Mania), Johnson practically said that it’s fine to use PEDs as long you don’t pull a “Chris Benoit” (Benoit was a WWE wrestler who shot himself and his family in what is suspected to be an extreme case of “roid rage“).

In his own words:

“If you abuse it, of course you are going to get popped for it and do stupid stuff. But if you use it the right way and you just do what you are supposed to do, then it shouldn’t be a problem. But with the way the world is right now, hell you can… Everything is all messed up right now. I don’t know man. I think if you can do it, do it. I don’t have nothing against it. You know what I’m saying? As long as you don’t kill nobody.”

If that statement gave you pause, the slam dunk was to follow when Rumble suggested that if MMA fighters were paid like Major League Baseball athletes then they wouldn’t use PEDs.

“I’m about to say, either pay us like them (MLB) and then we won’t have to use it, or let us use it so we can get to that level. One or the other… Let us do something.”

Allowing a drug free-for-all is the worst thing that could happen to the sport. The dangers of PEDs are well-documented, and the Benoit example he gave should be a salient reminder of what happens when drug use in the sport goes unchecked.

Not to mention, there are the countless deaths in other sports from the abuse of performance-enhancing substances.

All sports are extreme by their nature—athletes push their bodies far beyond what is healthy, especially in MMA, where the competition is so intense. Adding drugs to that mix is just asking for trouble.

But Johnson’s words are illuminating. He practically conceded that PEDs are a necessity. That’s an attitude that is likely to be much more prevalent in the sport than the lip service we hear from promoters and fighters against their use.

That’s a great shame. PEDs should not be a necessity in sport. If an athlete needs them then he should consider an alternative career. Like the enterprising men who started a new bouquet delivery business in San Francisco.

For the health of the sport and the athletes who compete in it, we must make sure Rumble’s words never become accepted.

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