The UFC 185 post-fight drug-test results are in, and every fighter came up clean. Lately, these reports have brought doom, as welterweight contender Hector Lombard popped hot after his Jan. 3 bout at UFC 182 and both UFC 183 main event combatants—Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Nick Diaz—failed their post-fight drug tests, the former for […]
The UFC 185 post-fight drug-test results are in, and every fighter came up clean. Lately, these reports have brought doom, as welterweight contender Hector Lombard popped hot after his Jan. 3 bout at UFC 182 and both UFC 183 main event combatants—Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Nick Diaz—failed their post-fight drug tests, the former for […]
“I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating.”—Sophocles An opposition to cheating and the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is as uncontroversial a position as one can take within a sporting context. It is not uncommon to hear athletes pay lip service to the ethical stance expressed in the above […]
“I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating.”—Sophocles An opposition to cheating and the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is as uncontroversial a position as one can take within a sporting context. It is not uncommon to hear athletes pay lip service to the ethical stance expressed in the above […]
You aren’t going to like this. The price of expunging performance-enhancing drugs from mixed martial arts will be steep, and fans will need to shoulder at least some of the cost. Sorry, I know that stinks to hear. At this point, though, we all owe it to each other to start telling the difficult truth. […]
You aren’t going to like this. The price of expunging performance-enhancing drugs from mixed martial arts will be steep, and fans will need to shoulder at least some of the cost. Sorry, I know that stinks to hear. At this point, though, we all owe it to each other to start telling the difficult truth. […]
Any sentiment related to the UFC and how they take care of their fighters (whether it’s about pay, insurance, or what have you) is bound to be controversial. Leben’s tweet suggesting the UFC discards their fighters once they’ve outlived their usefulness and leaves them as empty, “broken” husks was no exception. A firestorm erupted on twitter and otherInternet locales, with many fans insulting Leben and bashing the TUF Season 1 veteran. Their argument: Leben made more money than me, so fuck him. His drug issues are not my problem. Harsh words for a man who risked his mind and body to entertain so many.
Any sentiment related to the UFC and how they take care of their fighters (whether it’s about pay, insurance, or what have you) is bound to be controversial. Leben’s tweet suggesting the UFC discards their fighters once they’ve outlived their usefulness and leaves them as empty, “broken” husks was no exception. A firestorm erupted on twitter and otherInternet locales, with many fans insulting Leben and bashing the TUF Season 1 veteran. Their argument: Leben made more money than me, so fuck him. His drug issues are not my problem. Harsh words for a man who risked his mind and body to entertain so many.
A shame fans didn’t express these sentiments while Leben was in the UFC and clearly had issues. But then he was a BANGER, a WARRIOR. Now, since he doesn’t collect a UFC paycheck, fans think he’s a pathetic, burned out mooch who deserves nothing but agony. We’ve said it before, but MMA fans are terrible sometimes. Furthermore, Leben was distraught over the death of his dog, which prompted his above tweet about the UFC. It’s terrible to deride a person in such circumstances.
Ailing animal aside, Leben’s tweet brings a question to the fore: Should the UFC start a rehabilitation program for their fighters?
As the UFC roster balloons and the old guard of MMA ages, more and more Chris Lebens—athletes who fought hard but perhaps partied harder—will enter the confusing, empty-feeling life of an ex-fighter. What’ll those fighters do? They can’t all get ridiculousjobs from Zuffa, nor can they all become commentators. Some will find gigs as coaches and successful gym owners, but what about the rest who lose their way and fall to their drug habits—habits they acquired because of the MMA lifestyle?
Zuffa might help distressed fighters they’re partial to (guys that WARRED), but ideally the UFC would mimic the WWE’s model of rehabilitation assistance, the goal of which is “to help any former talent that may have a substance-related dependency problem.” The WWE covers all costs and “maintains regular contact with talent who have entered a rehab program or reached out for WWE assistance.”
The professional wrestling industry has a history with drug use. The grueling, 300+ day schedules combined with the constant wear and tear of taking bumps night after night is too much for some. They turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain and pressure.
While competing in the UFC doesn’t require constant travel, fighting isn’t an easy occupation on the mind or body—not at the high levels, where the “Rock Star Life” can consume fighters, nor at the low levels where $8,000 to show doesn’t come close to covering your costs for the fight, and training often has to be juggled with a day job. Financial struggles are only half the problem. No fighter enters the cage injury-free. But they can only get paychecks from fighting. When injuries mount and bank accounts run dry, competing hurt is the only option. Fighters, such as Chris Leben and Karo Parisyan, turn topainkillers. Other athletes might turn to different kinds of drugs.
Perhaps it’s the UFC’s responsibility to offer some aid to competitors who succumbed to drugs to cope with the physical and mental pressures of fighting. For all of Dana White’s/Zuffa’s grandstanding, the UFC would be nowhere without the fighters. Where’s the harm in bankrolling rehab for fighters who gave the best years of their lives (and their long-term health) to the UFC?
(Can we go back to those innocent, joyful days when you didn’t give a damn about your favorite fighter’s T/E ratio? / Photo via MMAWeekly)
By Jon Mariani
Drugs are bad, m’kay? At least that’s the conventional wisdom regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs in mixed martial arts. For the past 12 years, state athletic commissions as well as the UFC have tried to combat steroid use (and hormone therapy abuse) through pre- and post-fight testing, and punitive measures like suspensions and fines.
Some would argue that commissions and promoters should go even further with their anti-PED efforts, enacting more stringent testing for athletes. We say, what’s the point? Why burn so much money and man-hours trying to eradicate a problem that can never be eradicated? Ultimately, it might be better for the sport if all MMA fighters were allowed to use PEDs. Seriously. Here’s why that might not be the worst idea in the world…
It Would Level the Playing Field
When asked what percentage of fighters in MMA currently use PEDs, the most conservative response is usually around 50% of fighters; on the other side of the spectrum, estimates from fighters themselves go as as high as 90%. If those numbers are to be trusted, that would mean the majority of fighters currently use PEDs. It makes sense that so many fighters are using considering how poor the current testing is.
The fighters who don’t use PEDs face a clear disadvantage when they step into the cage against opponents who do. There’s also the murky waters of testosterone replacement therapy hall passes, which are being given away like candy. Legalizing PEDs would mean that all fighters could use, which would mean fighters who would like to use but currently don’t because it’s illegal would get on the gear. For the first time since athletic commissions began drug-testing MMA fighters, competition would be truly fair.
(Can we go back to those innocent, joyful days when you didn’t give a damn about your favorite fighter’s T/E ratio? / Photo via MMAWeekly)
By Jon Mariani
Drugs are bad, m’kay? At least that’s the conventional wisdom regarding the use of performance enhancing drugs in mixed martial arts. For the past 12 years, state athletic commissions as well as the UFC have tried to combat steroid use (and hormone therapy abuse) through pre- and post-fight testing, and punitive measures like suspensions and fines.
Some would argue that commissions and promoters should go even further with their anti-PED efforts, enacting more stringent testing for athletes. We say, what’s the point? Why burn so much money and man-hours trying to eradicate a problem that can never be eradicated? Ultimately, it might be better for the sport if all MMA fighters were allowed to use PEDs. Seriously. Here’s why that might not be the worst idea in the world…
It Would Level the Playing Field
When asked what percentage of fighters in MMA currently use PEDs, the most conservative response is usually around 50% of fighters; on the other side of the spectrum, estimates from fighters themselves go as as high as 90%. If those numbers are to be trusted, that would mean the majority of fighters currently use PEDs. It makes sense that so many fighters are using considering how poor the current testing is.
The fighters who don’t use PEDs face a clear disadvantage when they step into the cage against opponents who do. There’s also the murky waters of testosterone replacement therapy hall passes, which are being given away like candy. Legalizing PEDs would mean that all fighters could use, which would mean fighters who would like to use but currently don’t because it’s illegal would get on the gear. For the first time since athletic commissions began drug-testing MMA fighters, competition would be truly fair.
Prohibition Does Not Work
First we can look at the alcohol prohibition enacted in the 1920s and discern what an utter failure it was. Then we can look the current ‘War on drugs’ and see how well that is going. Drug prohibition has never worked and may never work, so wouldn’t a better option be to turn to regulation?
Alex Rodriguez was recently busted in the Biogenesis scandal. But was it because he failed a drug test? No. Despite enhancing their testing methods, the MLB was unable to catch A-Rod cheating. The situation came to light only because Dr. Pedro Bosch, the medical director of Biogenesis of America, agreed to work with MLB investigators.
The occasional high-profile steroid busts in MMA only scratch the surface of what’s happening in terms of PED usage among fighters, and athletic commissions simply don’t have the firepower to do anything about it. Let’s stop pretending that it’s a problem we can fix, and start facing reality.
Fans Simply Do Not Care
The revitalization of Vitor Belfort‘s career was one of the best stories of 2013. With three consecutive head-kick knockouts of increasingly decorated opponents, The Phenom truly lived up to his nickname. Whether or not he receives a therapeutic use exemption for his fight with Chris Weidman in July, the event will likely sell out and produce a significant amount of pay-per-view buys. The reason the numbers will not be affected by Belfort’s testosterone use, is because most casual fans don’t care if fighters are on PEDs. In fact, in this day and age most people expect fighters to be on something.
If you frequent any MMA forum, you will likely find members who either defend PED usage, or are simply indifferent to the issue. Most people want their favorite fighters to fight often and produce spectacular violence. If using PEDs allows athletes to train longer, recover faster, and increase their power, isn’t that exactly what we want? Don’t we want our favorite fighters to have long careers, so they can compete at an advanced age with all their skills and experience intact? If a relatively few amount of observers have an issue with PED use and fans are able to reap the benefits of athletes using them, where exactly is the problem?
Chris Leben has been a controversial figure from the minute he stepped into The Ultimate Fighter 1 house many years ago. He has continued to be a controversial figure even into his recent retirement. In a recent post from MixedMartialArts.com, Leben spoke with fellow UFC vet Frank Trigg. He opened up about his drug-riddled past, which has […]
Chris Leben has been a controversial figure from the minute he stepped into The Ultimate Fighter 1 house many years ago. He has continued to be a controversial figure even into his recent retirement. In a recent post from MixedMartialArts.com, Leben spoke with fellow UFC vet Frank Trigg. He opened up about his drug-riddled past, which has […]
