(“I’ll ask you one final time, Ashlee, HAVE. YOU. MOVED. TO METRO?” Photo via Getty.)
Perhaps the biggest problem with the UFC’s current expansion rate — you know, other than the watered-down cards, the recycled marketing gimmicks, and the spreading of those watered-down cards across 5 different platforms — is how often their “event a week” schedule almost inherently undermines the legitimacy of their product. With so many cards to fill a year, the UFC needs every last fighter on their roster to stay healthy in order to keep things afloat, and when a fighter inevitably gets injured, the promotion is forced to hire an outside gun — often on short notice — whom they expect to not only make weight and put on a show, but do so without any…how do I put this…”help.” All for a glorious 8k/8k paycheck if they’re lucky.
Case in point: Ashlee Evans-Smith, who was called up to the UFC on less than a month’s notice to face Raquel Pennington at UFC 181 after Holly Holm went down with an injury. Having not fought since July, the task of making weight in such a short time would be a difficult one for Smith (especially if she wasn’t training), but a concern worth turning down the biggest fight of her young career? NOT UNLESS YOU’RE LOOKING TO GET BLACKBALLED, SWEETHEART.
So Evans-Smith accepted the fight and was able to make weight for her debut (which sadly ended in heartbreak/near decapitation), but surprise surprise, it looks like she might have needed a little of the aforementioned help in order to do so.
According to MMAJunkie, Smith’s tested positive for “diuretics” following her loss to Pennington and will now face up to a six-month suspension when NSAC meets next week. Not that the Nevada State Athletic Commission has bothered to inform her or her camp of this:
Manager Mike McLeish first learned that his client, Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), had failed a drug test when a UFC executive called him.
McLeish was told Evans-Smith faced a six-month suspension and needed to assemble a list of supplements to present to the commission, which would be calling him shortly.
That call never came, he said Tuesday night. He said neither he or Evans-Smith have received any written notice of a rule violation. Yet Evans-Smith showed up on an agenda for an NSAC meeting scheduled next week in Las Vegas.
Wait, you’re telling me that the Nevada State Athletic Commission dropped the ball regarding a fighter’s drug test? Well now I’ve seen everything!!
But even crazier than NSAC’s inability to take a piss without dribbling on its shoes is the explanation Evans-Smith’s manager gave for her positive test:
She takes flowers, weird sh-t. It could possibly be that.
Wow. If you ever wanted proof that literally anyone can become an MMA manager, look no further than this grade-A defense (see also: Kogan, M.).
While looking over Evans-Smith’s case, I am oddly reminded of Kevin Casey, another fighter who was called up to the UFC on short notice, only to be popped for steroids following his victory at UFC 175. It’s almost as if the UFC is expanding at a rate at which their roster cannot support. Weird. In any case, I look forward to hearing how proud the UFC is of Evans-Smith once she checks into rehab for flower addiction.