Frankie Edgar’s stance on PEDs: Take them, I’ll beat you anyway

If you’re starting to feel like 2015 is the year of the drug test in MMA, you’re not alone. Bad news has seemingly been the sport’s most plentiful commodity throughout the first six weeks of the new year, with Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz, Hector Lombard, and Jon Fitch all testing positive for something or other within the condensed calendar.

The situation has grown dire enough that both the Nevada Athletic Commission and the UFC are scheduled to hold separate discussions this week alone regarding the future of testing in the sport, and from what we hear from fighters in the know, MMA’s drug crisis is likely going to get worse before it gets better.

Appearing on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar called the entire issue “unfortunate.”

Edgar has fought a who’s who of both the 155-pound and 145-pound divisions, and never once tested positive for any banned substance. Though when it comes to those athletes who do decide to cheat, the New Jersey native is far more indifferent with his condemnation than most.

“I kinda got a little different take. I’m not one to take them, I’m definitely clean myself. But I say take them,” Edgar said. “You want to let them? Take them. I don’t care. I think I’ll beat them anyway. That’s how I feel.

“I mean, I’m kinda saying that in the air,” Edgar added. “It would be a better sport clean, obviously. It doesn’t seem like it’s happening though. So if the statistics are true, I’ve probably fought someone on PEDs already, and I’m still here, I’m still doing okay. So I think those PEDs ain’t going to help you in the fourth and fifth.”

Edgar’s nonchalance was echoed by an enthusiastic ‘yeah’ and ‘that’s right’ by his upcoming opponent, Urijah Faber, who was also on the joint interview ahead of the pair’s unexpected but splendid superfight on May 16 at UFC Fight Night 65.

Faber, like Edgar, has been successful in two weight classes for over a decade, and throughout that time has never once popped dirty for any banned substance. So given the current doom-and-gloom landscape of MMA, it was not lost on Faber that his fight against Edgar provides somewhat of a welcome shot of professionalism into otherwise uncertain times.

“I can speak for myself only on this front, but I’ve never done any PEDs, nor would I think of ever doing any,” Faber said. “I’m 35 years old. Two days before this fight, I’ll be turning 36. This will be my fortieth fight in the sport and I’ve never touched a drug or even thought about it, and I’ve given most people the benefit of the doubt until recently. Now I’m, like, skeptical about everyone. So I can speak for myself and say I’m representing the sport the way I think it should be, and that’s clean.”

If you’re starting to feel like 2015 is the year of the drug test in MMA, you’re not alone. Bad news has seemingly been the sport’s most plentiful commodity throughout the first six weeks of the new year, with Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz, Hector Lombard, and Jon Fitch all testing positive for something or other within the condensed calendar.

The situation has grown dire enough that both the Nevada Athletic Commission and the UFC are scheduled to hold separate discussions this week alone regarding the future of testing in the sport, and from what we hear from fighters in the know, MMA’s drug crisis is likely going to get worse before it gets better.

Appearing on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar called the entire issue “unfortunate.”

Edgar has fought a who’s who of both the 155-pound and 145-pound divisions, and never once tested positive for any banned substance. Though when it comes to those athletes who do decide to cheat, the New Jersey native is far more indifferent with his condemnation than most.

“I kinda got a little different take. I’m not one to take them, I’m definitely clean myself. But I say take them,” Edgar said. “You want to let them? Take them. I don’t care. I think I’ll beat them anyway. That’s how I feel.

“I mean, I’m kinda saying that in the air,” Edgar added. “It would be a better sport clean, obviously. It doesn’t seem like it’s happening though. So if the statistics are true, I’ve probably fought someone on PEDs already, and I’m still here, I’m still doing okay. So I think those PEDs ain’t going to help you in the fourth and fifth.”

Edgar’s nonchalance was echoed by an enthusiastic ‘yeah’ and ‘that’s right’ by his upcoming opponent, Urijah Faber, who was also on the joint interview ahead of the pair’s unexpected but splendid superfight on May 16 at UFC Fight Night 65.

Faber, like Edgar, has been successful in two weight classes for over a decade, and throughout that time has never once popped dirty for any banned substance. So given the current doom-and-gloom landscape of MMA, it was not lost on Faber that his fight against Edgar provides somewhat of a welcome shot of professionalism into otherwise uncertain times.

“I can speak for myself only on this front, but I’ve never done any PEDs, nor would I think of ever doing any,” Faber said. “I’m 35 years old. Two days before this fight, I’ll be turning 36. This will be my fortieth fight in the sport and I’ve never touched a drug or even thought about it, and I’ve given most people the benefit of the doubt until recently. Now I’m, like, skeptical about everyone. So I can speak for myself and say I’m representing the sport the way I think it should be, and that’s clean.”