UFC light heavyweight Patrick Cummins would like to do his part to clean up mixed martial arts.
Cummins, who is scheduled to fight Ovince Saint Preux at UFC on FOX 15 on April 18 in Newark, N.J., told MMAFighting.com via his manager Ryan Parsons that he would like to challenge his opponent to random drug testing prior to their fight.
“These failed drug tests are getting out of control,” Cummins said. “OSP, let’s do the right thing with random WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] testing like I did my entire wrestling career and let the fans see the results.”
Saint Preux did not respond when contacted by MMAFighting.com about Cummins’ idea, however, his coach Joey Zonar was all for it.
“Hell yes,” he said. “As long as [Cummins] makes him a coffee.”
If you missed it, that was obviously a joke about Cummins’ brief tenure as a barista prior to joining the UFC last year.
MMAFighting.com then contacted New Jersey State Athletic Control Board counsel Nick Lembo to see if this was possible before UFC on FOX 15, as well as what kind of drug testing procedures would be in place before the event, however, Lembo would not divulge much information.
“This agency does not typically make detailed comment about drug testing processes for specified events,” he said. “The NJSACB has required blood, urine and/or hair testing at various times within the licensing period at past events and it would be fair to expect that we continue to do so.”
The UFC is scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday in Las Vegas to discuss the growing performance-enhancing drug problem in MMA.