If you’re a fighter who abuses testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to get ahead, now would be the time to stop.
At a UFC on Fuel TV 7 Q&A session, UFC president Dana White made it clear that his organization would crack down on fighters who use TRT without legitimate need (via MMAOpinion.co.uk):
Some things recently have led me to believe that people are fucking cheaters, people are taking good things and turning it into a bad thing, and if you want to play those games, then guess what? We’ll play.
There’s so much shit out there. Right now there’s banned substances, and we follow the regulations, and we’re going after the banned substances. TRT was never one of them, and they would be tested leading up to the fight to make sure the levels are good.
If you’re on TRT now, you’re going to wish you weren’t. We’re going to test the living shit out of you.
White did not explain what it was that led him to believe fighters were using TRT to cheat, though the most recent fighter to receive a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for TRT was Vitor Belfort in advance of UFC on FX 7 (via UFC.com).
One point TRT detractors have made is that fighters who have low testosterone probably don’t belong in the fight game. Furthermore, TRT gives more experienced fighters an additional and unnatural physical advantage over younger, inexperienced fighters.
The UFC president agrees with those points and urges fighters with low testosterone to retire, should they feel they need TRT to remain competitive:
There are plenty of guys in the UFC that are naturally gifted and talented fighters. If you’re testosterone levels are too low, then you’re probably too old to be fighting. Stop fighting!
The number of fighters using TRT has steadily climbed over recent years.
Many of those competitors are big names, as well. Dan Henderson, Frank Mir, Forrest Griffin and Chael Sonnen are among the most notable individuals to receive TUEs.
Though White did not delve into details of how the UFC would ramp up testing on TRT users, one would have to think any random, in-training testing would be an improvement over the current system. Right now, fighters are usually only tested during fight week and must simply maintain a testosterone-estrogen ratio less than six times the normal range for males.
It is good to see that MMA‘s top promotion is taking a stronger stance against cheating in the sport, so let’s hope it follows through on White’s plan to catch those who are using TRT to gain an unfair advantage.
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