Minutes after the Nevada State Athletic Commission unanimously approved a motion to ban the practice of awarding fighters a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in the state, the Ultimate Fighting Championship followed suit.
UFC president Dana White told MMAFighting.com on Thursday that the UFC will no longer allow fighters to use TRT when fighting on cards in which the UFC serves as the governing body. That typically happens when the UFC holds events overseas in countries that do not have athletic commissions in place.
“We follow Nevada,” White said.
White, who had been vocal recently about the dangers of TRT, expressed extreme satisfaction that the NSAC finally banned the controversial use of TRT.
“[I’m] pumped!” White wrote via text message. “Couldn’t wait for that garbage to go away.”
Last year, White announced that the promotion began randomly testing TRT users on its own prior to fights to ensure that the fighters were not abusing the therapy.
It remains to be seen whether the promotion will also refuse to allow fighters from using TRT in states, provinces or countries with athletic commissions who have not banned it.
Nevada’s ban on TRT is effectively immediately, disallowing any past, present or future users from applying for a TUE.
Update: The UFC issued a press release on Thursday’s news:
“The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT),” White stated in the release. “We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling.”