UFC light heavyweight prospect Krysztof Soszynski spoke to MMAFighting yesterday, claiming that up to 85 percent of mixed martial artists are using performance enhancing drugs. “I would definitely say somewhere in the percentage of 85 percent of guys are definitely using, especially the guys who can afford it are definitely using”, Sosynski said in a phone call interview with the website.
This is just another log onto the fire on the issue of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs in the sport of mixed martial arts. The whirlwind fire storm began earlier this year, when UFC Middleweight standout Nate Marquardt was found to have elevated testosterone levels in his system and was subsequently fired from the UFC. Marquardt has since come out and stated that he is on hormone replacement therapy from his doctor.
Soszynski, 26-11-1 in his mixed martial arts career, makes his statements after realizing how readily available such drugs are to fighters. Soszynski suffered a knee injury in his unanimous decision victory over Mike Massenzio at UFC 131 back in June. He said during the rehabilitation process, someone spoke to him regarding stem cell injections saying, “I even had someone talk to me about stem cell injections. You’re looking at stuff like EPO, and at least five or six different counterfeit drugs out there that people are using and they’re not even detectable in the body. It’s just amazing to me how far athletes are willing to go to make their mark in this sport.”
Soszynski went on to make his claim for random drug testing in the sport. “I totally agree [with random testing]. Ten weeks out, eight weeks out, six weeks out—that’s when all the training happens. That’s when you’re training at your hardest, at your peak”. He then went on to say that testing prior to fight night is ineffective, because fighters who don’t know what they’re doing are the only ones who are going to get caught.
After the Nate Marquardt incident, world renowned fighter and future Hall of Famer Dan Henderson came out and stated he too was on hormone replacement therapy from his doctors.
This is surly going to create even more of a buzz around the MMA world regarding this touchy subject. It’s hard to foresee when performance enhancing drugs will ever be completely rooted out of mixed martial arts, or any other sport for that matter.
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