Recently, longtime TriStar MMA head coach Firas Zahabi made his way into several headlines with an uncharacteristic outburst.
The target of his words was former UFC title contender Jon Fitch, who was caught with elevated levels of testosterone during his World Series of Fighting (WSOF) days. Fitch is now set to take on Zahabi’s star pupil Rory MacDonald in the main event of tomorrow’s (Sat., April 27, 2019) Bellator 220 from the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
Zahabi overtly accused Fitch of using steroids, pointing to that as the only reason he had experienced a late-career resurgence. Fitch was rather nonchalant in his response, claiming he didn’t care what others thought of him. He deemed the headlines ‘outrage porn’ and said he wouldn’t have even known about the issue if reporters hadn’t brought it up.
On His Conscience
MacDonald was questioned about it during yesterday’s Bellator 220 media day. He told MMA Junkie he was surprised the normally reserved Zahabi had spoken like that. Zahabi’s words were his own, and he can speak how he so chooses.
‘The Red King’ also said he didn’t know much about Fitch’s steroid history. But he knew he had been caught, so that was ultimately on his conscience:
“I was a bit surprised because I’d never really heard him talk like that, especially in an interview. But I guess he really has a strong conviction for that in our sport. But he’s his own man. He can speak what he believes in his own interviews.
“I can’t blame him. I don’t really know too much history about Jon and his steroids, but apparently, he’s been caught before. That’s on him, I guess. That’s on his conscience.”
Leave It To The Commission
MacDonald clarified that he was anti-steroid and would speak up if Fitch was truly on PEDs. Overall, however, it wasn’t his call to make, so he wouldn’t stress out about it too much:
“I can’t go point my finger and be like, ‘Jon’s on it.’
“It’s out of my control, and so I’m not going to stress about it,” he said. “If he’s doing it, that’s on him. It’s him and the commission and their testing, and if he’s caught, then he’s going to have to pay the consequences.”
On the other side of the coin, Fitch has taken the combative stance of pointing to the media’s attempts to merely make headlines because of his former PED use. He’s largely played it off as a past mistake that’s now long over with:
“I’m not proud of it, but it definitely put me in a better position going through it,” he said.
Due to that view, Fitch isn’t in a rush to confront Zahabi about what he said. Zahabi could think that if he wants, Fitch said, because overall it’s not worth his time:
“It’s not worth my time. If it makes him feel better to think (that), then okay.”
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