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UFC Strawweight Cleared Of UFC 211 Doping Case

The UFC has determined Cortney Casey was not abusing any prohibited substances while competing at UFC 211 earlier this year. Sanctions levied by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), however, still remain. It was announced by Jeff Novitzky, the UFC’s vice president of athlete health and performance, yesterday (Thurs. June 22, 2017) that the promotion […]

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The UFC has determined Cortney Casey was not abusing any prohibited substances while competing at UFC 211 earlier this year.

Sanctions levied by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), however, still remain. It was announced by Jeff Novitzky, the UFC’s vice president of athlete health and performance, yesterday (Thurs. June 22, 2017) that the promotion and the TDLR received the results from Casey’s ‘B’ sample, which came back negative for banned substances in isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) testing.

Initially, Casey’s ‘A’ sample returned over the Texas threshold of 4-to-1 for elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone levels. As a result, Casey was handed a three month suspension by the TDLR in addition to having her win over Jessica Aguilar at UFC 211 this past May overturned.

Novitzky commented on Casey’s situation and expressed his displeasure for how the TDLR is handling the situation (quotes via MMA Fighting):

“Her slightly elevated T:E ratio was just a product of her natural physiology and not anything she did wrong,” Novitzky said. “She didn’t cheat. A T:E ratio, in and of itself — especially mildly high — is never grounds for a public announcement of a positive test.”

“I believe it’s sickening how Cortney has been treated by the Texas commission throughout this,” Novitzky said. “From my experience, the worst thing you can do in anti-doping is a public announcement of a false positive test and that’s what Texas did to her.”

“The only good thing that I can say to come out of this is it’s a good example of what USADA and what I can do in my position to ensure athletes get their proper due process when it comes to athletic commission drug testing,” Novitzky said. … “There’s been some criticism and I think we’ve educated people on it, but there’s been criticism from media and commissions on why USADA takes so long to come back with results. I think this is a glaring example of why. When USADA announces something publicly, they’re 100 percent sure. They’ve dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s.”

Susan Stanford, a spokesman for the TDL, stated that she could not confirm the department had received Casey’s ‘B’ sample and determine it was clean, as the investigation remains open:

“At this point the Casey case is still under review,” Stanford said.

“The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) consistently reviews all Combative Sports program rules, including those related to anti-doping,” Stanford said. “During the last review of the rules TDLR received a single public comment related to drug testing procedures. That comment sought to include all prohibited drugs in the standard testing panel.

“The Department welcomes additional comments about anti-doping and other concerns from the public and industry affecting the combative sports program.”

Even if the decision is overturned by the Texas department, Casey herself fears that she’ll always be viewed as a performance enhancing drug (PED) abuser for the rest of her career:

“Even now with the result in my favor, people will just say I found a loophole,” Casey said. “I will always be considered a cheater in some people’s eyes. If you look at the science, there is no loophole to it. It sucks. It just sucks.”

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NYSAC: Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen passed drug tests ahead of Bellator NYC

According to the New York commission, Chael Sonnen and Wandelei Silva passed out-of-competition drug testing.

One of the storylines surrounding the Bellator NYC grudge match between Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen was drug testing. The two men have definitely had their woes with suspensions for using performance enhancing drugs, and it seemed a bit surprising when the New York State Athletic Commission said that Bellator wasn’t offering up any money for additional testing and they weren’t requesting any back in May.

That changed a month later when Bellator CEO Scott Coker said that they would indeed be doing out-of-competition testing – less than two weeks before the bout.

Well, it appears that NYSAC has conducted that testing, and both men passed according to a one-sentence statement (via MMA Junkie):

“The (NYSAC) has completed out-of-competition testing for the Sonnen-Silva bout at (Bellator NYC) and looks forward to Saturday night.”

Sonnen (29-15-1, 0-1 Bellator) received a two-year suspension for testing positive for a plethora of PEDs, while Silva (35-12-1, 0-0 Bellator) was ultimately given a three-year ban for evading testing due to having a banned diuretic in his system. That all happened before their scheduled UFC 175 bout in 2014.

Sonnen has competed just once since then, getting submitted by Tito Ortiz in the first round of their April bout. Silva hasn’t fought since early 2013, where he stopped current UFC commentator Brian Stann in the latter’s last career fight.

Sonnen and Silva will headline Bellator NYC tomorrow in Madison Square Garden. The main card will air on PPV.

According to the New York commission, Chael Sonnen and Wandelei Silva passed out-of-competition drug testing.

That changed a month later when Bellator CEO Scott Coker said that they would indeed be doing out-of-competition testing – less than two weeks before the bout.

Well, it appears that NYSAC has conducted that testing, and both men passed according to a one-sentence statement (via MMA Junkie):

“The (NYSAC) has completed out-of-competition testing for the Sonnen-Silva bout at (Bellator NYC) and looks forward to Saturday night.”

Sonnen and Silva will headline Bellator NYC tomorrow in Madison Square Garden. The main card will air on PPV.

Report: TJ Dillashaw ‘No Longer’ Planning Move to Flyweight

It appears that the planned “super-fight” between UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and former bantamweight titleholder TJ Dillashaw is no longer in discussion. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported Friday that Dillashaw is not planning a move down to 125 pounds. Instead he’ll remain focused on fighting bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt when Garbrandt returns to action. Per […]

Trainer: Conor McGregor ‘Might Do Something Crazy’ Against Mayweather

With the combat sports world awaiting August 26’s massive Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing fight, several questions remain as to just what will happen in the two-division UFC champ “Notorious’” professional boxing debut. One of them, which might be somewhat ridiculous, is whether or not McGregor will resort to MMA maneuvers, which he’s already […]

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One of them, which might be somewhat ridiculous, is whether or not McGregor will resort to MMA maneuvers, which he’s already been banned from, after “Money” frustrates him with his elusive, stifling style of the sweet science. Dana White recently reassured fans and media this wouldn’t be the case because of the potential lawsuit Mayweather would level at him:

“There is no way that will happen. That is absolutely in the contract, No.1. No. 2, this is a boxing match under the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. When you talk about a guy like Floyd Mayweather – the lawsuit if that ever happened … you all know how much Conor likes money. Conor would depart with a whole lot of money if that ever happened.”

But there’s a person close to the situation who believes the unfortunate scene could still unfold, and that’s Mayweather’s assistant trainer Nate Jones. He told Submission Radio (via MMA Junkie) that McGregor could get frustrated and break the rules:

“One way I can see the fight ending is Floyd outboxing him, beating the crap out of him,” Jones said. “Another way I’m going to be concerned about is when Floyd gets to a point where he frustrates him too much, McGregor’s going to do something crazy. That’s the only thing I’m worried about.”

Mayweather will be 40 years old come fight night, and Jones indeed acknowledged this, along with McGregor’s touted knockout power, could be a factor in the outcome. But he still stuck to the notion that the UFC superstar could be disqualified for using a move not allowed under the agreed-upon stipulations:

“I would be more concerned about this fight because Floyd’s a little older now. He’s 40 years old. McGregor has crazy weird power, and he’s got weird shots from weird angles. I’m worried about that. But for my prediction in the fight, is Floyd either confusing him and frustrating him and stopping him in the later rounds, or Floyd outboxing him, or (McGregor) doing something stupid and losing the fight. That’s my prediction.”

Some do agree that Mayweather’s age coupled with the fact that McGregor is in his physical prime could cause the most shocking upset in boxing history, something the early betting odds currently reflect compared to Mayweather’s recent match-ups. The undefeated legend has infinitely more experience in the squared circle, however, making this a fight that is justifiably skewed in Mayweather’s favor in a big way.

To suggest that Mayweather’s precise, surgical strategy, which has been described by boring by many a knockout-hungry onlooker, will coerce McGregor to abandon the rules of boxing to harm Mayweather with an MMA technique like a takedown or a kick is somewhat speculative at best, accusatory at worst.

It’s hard to trust White most of the time, because he’s said one thing and the opposite soon came true shortly after he did more times than we could count. Yet this time, he’s right about one thing, that McGregor loves money and most likely won’t want to risk the massively expensive and unnecessary suit that Mayweather’s team would levy at him.

Do you believe McGregor will be so frustrated by Mayweather that he’ll break the rules?

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Heather Hardy Isn’t ‘Super Intimated’ Before MMA Debut

Heather Hardy has something to prove, but that doesn’t mean she’s overwhelmed. Hardy is an undefeated boxing champion, who is making the transition to mixed martial arts (MMA) tomorrow night (June 24). She’ll do so inside Madison Square Garden in New York City for Bellator 180. Hardy will share the cage with Alice Yauger. “The Heat” […]

Sergio da Silva Admits He Tried To Work Scale At Bellator Weigh-Ins

Perhaps New York is simply prone to weigh-in controversy. Prior to UFC 210 this past April, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier initially came in over weight, but returned just minutes later to make the 205-pound limit, although he had his hands on a towel, which some said helped in. Earlier today (June 23, 2017), […]

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Perhaps New York is simply prone to weigh-in controversy.

Prior to UFC 210 this past April, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier initially came in over weight, but returned just minutes later to make the 205-pound limit, although he had his hands on a towel, which some said helped in.

Earlier today (June 23, 2017), Sergio da Silva tried to check his weight at the Bellator 180 weigh-ins in New York, but was told he could not come back at a later time:

“Cormier weighed in, came back and weighed in again, but the (commissioner) wouldn’t let me do it,” da Silva told MMA Fighting. “When she read the weight I said ‘ok, I still have two hours, so I’ll come back and try to lose more’, but she said ‘no, you can’t.’”

Cormier was only allowed to come back to the scale because he was competing in a championship bout, which is why da Silva tried to do anything possible in order to ‘lose’ the extra weight on the scale:

“It was obvious, there’s no reason to lie,” da Silva admits. “I was a little above the limit and tried to do… I’m a veteran, almost 10 years fighting, and I’ll try anything you can do to make a difference. There’s nothing else to say.

“You’re dehydrated, waiting to weigh in since 6 a.m., cutting weight,” he continued, guaranteeing would have made weight if he had used the extra hours. “I couldn’t do it, so I tried to ‘lose’ something in the scale.

“I usually weigh in in the afternoon. I wake up, and I have my schedule of the day to cut weight. I didn’t even sleep last night cutting weight. It’s hard to weigh in at 9 a.m.. It’s good because you have more time to rehydrate, but it’s too early.”

His tricks didn’t work out, however, as the commission then made sure he was standing with both feet on the scale. In the end, his fight against Matt Rizo was made official after a bit of controversy.

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