Tag: MMA drug testing

Jon Jones Isn’t Saying Glover Teixeira Is a Steroid-User…But Why Take Any Chances?


(Jones is so committed to clean competition that he carries a bottle of fresh, hot urine with him at all times. / Photo via Getty)

Earlier this month, Jon Jones revealed to FOX Sports that he requested random drug-testing for himself and Glover Teixeira in advance of their light-heavyweight title fight at UFC 172 (April 26th, Baltimore). At the time, it seemed like Jones was taking up the Anti-PED Superhero mantle from Georges St-Pierre.

“It was something me and my management team asked for several months ago,” Jones said. “We thought it would be great to make sure everyone was playing fair in this fight. I’m not accusing my opponent of anything, but it’d just be great to see. [The Maryland State Athletic Commission] said they would need the UFC to approve it, the UFC approved it and paid for the whole thing and they never told me or Glover when our tests would come…

“I just think it’d be great to know that the athletes that are competing are competing clean,” Jones said. “I’ve never taken any kind of performance-enhancing drug and I don’t think any of my opponents should. I know that I’ve probably fought people in the past that have, and I’ve still come up with a way to win, but I just think it’s important that it goes away.

“I want our sport to be a clean sport. I want athletes to have pride and hard work and that’s why I thought I would put my money where my mouth is and get the test for myself. I have no right to accuse [Teixeira] of being on anything,” Jones said. “I know when people get chances to fight for world titles maybe they’ll do anything to get an edge, and I think the only edge you should have is work ethic so I thought we should both get tested.”

Now, in a follow-up interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Jones explained what really motivated him to request enhanced testing for this fight, and it has nothing to do with any lofty goals of cleaning up the sport. Basically, Glover Teixeira is 34 years old, he’s strong as an ox, and Jones finds that kind of suspicious:


(Jones is so committed to clean competition that he carries a bottle of fresh, hot urine with him at all times. / Photo via Getty)

Earlier this month, Jon Jones revealed to FOX Sports that he requested random drug-testing for himself and Glover Teixeira in advance of their light-heavyweight title fight at UFC 172 (April 26th, Baltimore). At the time, it seemed like Jones was taking up the Anti-PED Superhero mantle from Georges St-Pierre.

“It was something me and my management team asked for several months ago,” Jones said. “We thought it would be great to make sure everyone was playing fair in this fight. I’m not accusing my opponent of anything, but it’d just be great to see. [The Maryland State Athletic Commission] said they would need the UFC to approve it, the UFC approved it and paid for the whole thing and they never told me or Glover when our tests would come…

“I just think it’d be great to know that the athletes that are competing are competing clean,” Jones said. “I’ve never taken any kind of performance-enhancing drug and I don’t think any of my opponents should. I know that I’ve probably fought people in the past that have, and I’ve still come up with a way to win, but I just think it’s important that it goes away.

“I want our sport to be a clean sport. I want athletes to have pride and hard work and that’s why I thought I would put my money where my mouth is and get the test for myself. I have no right to accuse [Teixeira] of being on anything,” Jones said. “I know when people get chances to fight for world titles maybe they’ll do anything to get an edge, and I think the only edge you should have is work ethic so I thought we should both get tested.”

Now, in a follow-up interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Jones explained what really motivated him to request enhanced testing for this fight, and it has nothing to do with any lofty goals of cleaning up the sport. Basically, Glover Teixeira is 34 years old, he’s strong as an ox, and Jones finds that kind of suspicious:

“I just thought I would have Glover tested because he’s not the youngest fighter and everyone raves about how strong he is.”

“Some fighters, you just know they’re not on anything just by looking at them. Part of (Teixeira’s) mystique is his amazing physical strength and I just questioned it. I have no reason to think he’s on steroids but I do wonder how someone can be so strong.”

“I called Dana White and said, ‘Hey, I want Glover to take steroid tests for this fight,’” Jones said. “He asked me, “What, you think he’s on steroids?’ I told him I don’t know and I have no reason to accuse him of anything but I would like to be sure.”

“Dana told me how the Georges and Johny Hendricks thing became one big cluster because Georges wanted Johny to be tested by a certain company. He recommended I not go that way and talk to the commission directly so I said, ‘OK.’ ”

Alright, so maybe this isn’t going to help his narc reputation, but if Jones wants to use his pull as champion to demand additional drug testing for title fights, how is that a bad thing? Along with the recent ban on TRT and Dana White’s claim that all UFC fighters will be drug tested on fight cards going forward, the environment for PED users is growing more hostile. Baby steps, people.

The question now, is: What happens if Teixeira tests dirty for something and has to be pulled from the card on a week’s notice? Would you draft Phil Davis into the main event, or just cancel this thing altogether?

Friday Links: The Best UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi Knockouts (So Far), UFC Expands Drug-Testing Policy, The Most Florida Moments in Florida History + More

(This might be the smoothest “look low, kick high” knockout we’ve ever seen. / Props: MiddleEasy)

Thales Leites Earns His First-Ever Knockout Victory in the UFC, During Fight Night Abu Dhabi Prelims (Facebook.com/CagePotato)

Johnny Bedford Knocks Rani Yahya Out With Headbutt, Loses Mind at ‘No Contest’ Announcement (BloodyElbow)

Ramsey Nijem Destroys Beneil Dariush at Fight Night Abu Dhabi [GIF] (ZombieProphet)

Cheaters Beware! UFC Boss Dana White Confirms Promotion Is Drug Testing ‘The Whole Card From Now On’ (MMAMania)

Randy Couture: A UFC Doctor Introduced Vitor Belfort to TRT (BleacherReport)

Alistair Overeem Officially Decides to Join Jackson-Winkeljohn (MMAFighting)

25 Students Who Are NOT Having Their Best Day (PopHangover)

The Seven Most Florida Things to Ever Florida (HolyTaco)

This Emma Watson/Sofia Vergara GIF Will Give You Nightmares (EveryJoe)

8 Reasons Why We Should All Love Stephen Colbert (EscapistMagazine)

The Elder Scrolls Online: The First 10 Levels (GameFront)

20 Photos You’ll Laugh at Way More Than You Should (WorldWideInterweb)

Hopped Up: The 12 Best Double IPAs (HiConsumption)

This Video of a Little Kid Flopping During a Game Proves That the Future of Basketball Is Probably Doomed (Complex)

The 101 Hottest Celebrity Instagram Pictures This Week (Guyism)


(This might be the smoothest “look low, kick high” knockout we’ve ever seen. / Props: MiddleEasy)

Thales Leites Earns His First-Ever Knockout Victory in the UFC, During Fight Night Abu Dhabi Prelims (Facebook.com/CagePotato)

Johnny Bedford Knocks Rani Yahya Out With Headbutt, Loses Mind at ‘No Contest’ Announcement (BloodyElbow)

Ramsey Nijem Destroys Beneil Dariush at Fight Night Abu Dhabi [GIF] (ZombieProphet)

Cheaters Beware! UFC Boss Dana White Confirms Promotion Is Drug Testing ‘The Whole Card From Now On’ (MMAMania)

Randy Couture: A UFC Doctor Introduced Vitor Belfort to TRT (BleacherReport)

Alistair Overeem Officially Decides to Join Jackson-Winkeljohn (MMAFighting)

25 Students Who Are NOT Having Their Best Day (PopHangover)

The Seven Most Florida Things to Ever Florida (HolyTaco)

This Emma Watson/Sofia Vergara GIF Will Give You Nightmares (EveryJoe)

8 Reasons Why We Should All Love Stephen Colbert (EscapistMagazine)

The Elder Scrolls Online: The First 10 Levels (GameFront)

20 Photos You’ll Laugh at Way More Than You Should (WorldWideInterweb)

Hopped Up: The 12 Best Double IPAs (HiConsumption)

This Video of a Little Kid Flopping During a Game Proves That the Future of Basketball Is Probably Doomed (Complex)

The 101 Hottest Celebrity Instagram Pictures This Week (Guyism)

Friday Link Dump: Belfort’s Mysterious Random Drug Test, Weidman Opens as 2-1 Favorite Over Machida, Eight Damn-Near-Impossible Video Games + More

(If you’re a Fight Pass subscriber…let us know how this fight turns out, alright? / Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

– Results of Vitor Belfort’s Random Drug Test Will Not Be Released Unless He Does so Himself (MMAFighting)

– Can Anybody Explain This Conor McGregor Billboard on Sunset Strip? (MiddleEasy)

– Zak Cummings Missed Weight So Bad That His ‘UFC Fight Night: Macau’ Match Was Canceled (BloodyElbow)

– Chris Weidman Opens as -210 Favorite Over Lyoto Machida in UFC 173 Title Fight (MMAJunkie)

– Matt Hughes: Georges St. Pierre Doesn’t Want to Come Back to UFC and Take Another Beating From Johny Hendricks (MMAMania)

– More Still Needs to Be Done in Struggle Against PED Use (Yahoo!)

– 2014 Oscar Nominee Childhood Photos (WorldWideInterweb)

– The 50 Greatest NBA Plays of the ’90s (Complex)

– 10 Ways to Cancer-Proof Your Life (MensFitness)

– Dazzle Your Oscar Party With These Printable Bingo Cards (Crushable)

– Eight Scripts That Should Have Never Made It to the Big Screen (EscapistMagazine)

– 20 Things That Happen When You Don’t Wear a Bra, In GIFs (TheGloss)

– Eight Utterly Frustrating Video Games That You Could Never Beat (HolyTaco)

– Dana Snay Loses $80,000 with “SUCK IT” Facebook Message (EveryJoe)

– The Complete Cheat-Guide to ‘Thief’ (Gamefront)

– The Funniest Autocorrects of February 2014, Part One! (DamnYouAutocorrect)


(If you’re a Fight Pass subscriber…let us know how this fight turns out, alright? / Props: YouTube.com/UFC)

– Results of Vitor Belfort’s Random Drug Test Will Not Be Released Unless He Does so Himself (MMAFighting)

– Can Anybody Explain This Conor McGregor Billboard on Sunset Strip? (MiddleEasy)

– Zak Cummings Missed Weight So Bad That His ‘UFC Fight Night: Macau’ Match Was Canceled (BloodyElbow)

– Chris Weidman Opens as -210 Favorite Over Lyoto Machida in UFC 173 Title Fight (MMAJunkie)

– Matt Hughes: Georges St. Pierre Doesn’t Want to Come Back to UFC and Take Another Beating From Johny Hendricks (MMAMania)

– More Still Needs to Be Done in Struggle Against PED Use (Yahoo!)

– 2014 Oscar Nominee Childhood Photos (WorldWideInterweb)

– The 50 Greatest NBA Plays of the ’90s (Complex)

– 10 Ways to Cancer-Proof Your Life (MensFitness)

– Dazzle Your Oscar Party With These Printable Bingo Cards (Crushable)

– Eight Scripts That Should Have Never Made It to the Big Screen (EscapistMagazine)

– 20 Things That Happen When You Don’t Wear a Bra, In GIFs (TheGloss)

– Eight Utterly Frustrating Video Games That You Could Never Beat (HolyTaco)

– Dana Snay Loses $80,000 with “SUCK IT” Facebook Message (EveryJoe)

– The Complete Cheat-Guide to ‘Thief’ (Gamefront)

– The Funniest Autocorrects of February 2014, Part One! (DamnYouAutocorrect)

The Unsupportable Opinion: Why PEDs Should Be Legal in MMA


(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?

Jessica Eye Fails Drug Test, Receives “Probated Suspension” and Has UFC 166 Win Overturned to No Contest [UPDATED]


(Reports say Eye tested positive for over 4 times the legal amount of spinach. Photo via Getty.)

Late last week, reports started floating around that the Texas Athletic Commission had overturned Jessica Eye‘s controversial decision victory over Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 to a “No Contest” without offering an explanation. Both Eye and Kaufman had been feuding over Twitter since the decision was announced but seemed as in the dark as the rest of us when the announcement was made. Clearly, Eye’s win was the result of a decades-long hoax involving herself, George W. Bush, and Eye’s native Ohio (a historically crucial swing state in Presidential elections) that was only recently exposed by a brash young reporter who dared risk everything in pursuit of the truth. In theaters this May.

However, new evidence surfaced just hours ago that bids to tear my latest conspiracy theory/movie pitch in twain. According to MMAJunkie’s Ben OldDad, “an administrative order from Jan. 22 states that Eye ‘tested positive for a prohibited drug,’ and was fined $1,875 and placed on a ‘one year fully probated suspension.’”

To clarify: “tested positive for a prohibited drug” = probably weed.


(Reports say Eye tested positive for over 4 times the legal amount of spinach. Photo via Getty.)

Late last week, reports started floating around that the Texas Athletic Commission had overturned Jessica Eye‘s controversial decision victory over Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 to a “No Contest” without offering an explanation. Both Eye and Kaufman had been feuding over Twitter since the decision was announced but seemed as in the dark as the rest of us when the announcement was made. Clearly, Eye’s win was the result of a decades-long hoax involving herself, George W. Bush, and Eye’s native Ohio (a historically crucial swing state in Presidential elections) that was only recently exposed by a brash young reporter who dared risk everything in pursuit of the truth. In theaters this May.

However, new evidence surfaced just hours ago that bids to tear my latest conspiracy theory/movie pitch in twain. According to MMAJunkie’s Ben OldDad, “an administrative order from Jan. 22 states that Eye ‘tested positive for a prohibited drug,’ and was fined $1,875 and placed on a ‘one year fully probated suspension.’”

To clarify: “tested positive for a prohibited drug” = probably weed.

As for the “one year fully probated suspension,” well, according to both Fowlkes and the woman herself, Eye will still be allowed to compete in her scheduled fight against Alexis Davis at UFC 170 as long as she abides by the terms of her probation. A suspension-less suspension, if you will. It is interesting to note, however that Eye vs. Davis has been removed from the UFC 170 Wikipedia page (a great source, I know) as well as Eye’s personal page which states that Eye was “removed from the card due to her failed drug test.”

In any case, Sarah Kaufman responded to the news in the grateful yet complacent manner typical of a Canadian, stating:

It’s not a loss but also not a win. I hate to see our sport marred by athletes who can’t seem to control what substances they put in their bodies. It’s disrespectful to their opponents and employers.

Another interesting thing to note here is how differently Eye’s case is being treated than Ben Rothwell’s. Both fighters were popped by secondary athletic commissions in “fringe” MMA states (states that the UFC does not often visit), yet the UFC opted to suspend Rothwell for 9 months when he tested positive for elevated testosterone and, as of this write up, have done nothing to Eye. Not that weed should even be in the same ballpark as elevated testosterone — if the former even is what Eye tested positive for — but both are usually cause for lengthy suspensions in MMA, so what gives?

Is the UFC taking a pro-marijuana stance with its non-punishment of Eye? Or did Dana & Co. know that Jessica only got a *little* high before her fight and let her have a free pass? And can someone help explain THIS to me?

UPDATE

According to BleacherReport, the substance found in Eye’s system was “a blood-thinning medication used to treat a long-term issue stemming from an accident when she was hit by a drunk driver at 16 years old.”

–J. Jones

Georges St. Pierre Takes a Page From the BJ Penn Pre-Fight Handbook, Invites Johny Hendricks to Do VADA Testing With Him

(Skip to 2:25 for the start of the VADA conversation..)

UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has been accused of steroid use more times than any other fighter who’s never failed a drug test. BJ Penn first painted him as a cheater in 2009, saying that St. Pierre “doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to steroids and growth hormones and that stuff,” and pointed to his physique as proof. (“He looks like that every day…The rest of us, we get fat, then we train and get skinny and the cycle goes over and over again. He looks the same way all the time. Come on.”)

The following year, Josh Koscheck passed along some “hearsay information” supporting the GSP/steroid rumors, calling for Olympic style drug testing for his upcoming fight against St. Pierre. And earlier this year, we saw noted conspiracy theorist Nick Diaz implying that not only was GSP on steroids, but the UFC knows about it and is cool with it.

So for once, St. Pierre is going to beat these jackasses to the punch. In a new interview with Sportsnet’s Joe Ferraro, St. Pierre invited his UFC 167 opponent Johny Hendricks to subscribe to pre-fight drug-testing with him through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), which would provide random, unannounced testing during the eight weeks before their fight. Here’s what St. Pierre had to say:

“I believe the sport has a problem now. When I first started fighting in mixed martial arts, it didn’t have any money. So, now more money got involved, more ways are there to be cheating to take a shortcut and I believe VADA testing I’m up for it and I invite my opponent to do the VADA testing for the championship fight.


(Skip to 2:25 for the start of the VADA conversation..)

UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has been accused of steroid use more times than any other fighter who’s never failed a drug test. BJ Penn first painted him as a cheater in 2009, saying that St. Pierre “doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to steroids and growth hormones and that stuff,” and pointed to his physique as proof. (“He looks like that every day…The rest of us, we get fat, then we train and get skinny and the cycle goes over and over again. He looks the same way all the time. Come on.”)

The following year, Josh Koscheck passed along some “hearsay information” supporting the GSP/steroid rumors, calling for Olympic style drug testing for his upcoming fight against St. Pierre. And earlier this year, we saw noted conspiracy theorist Nick Diaz implying that not only was GSP on steroids, but the UFC knows about it and is cool with it.

So for once, St. Pierre is going to beat these jackasses to the punch. In a new interview with Sportsnet’s Joe Ferraro, St. Pierre invited his UFC 167 opponent Johny Hendricks to subscribe to pre-fight drug-testing with him through the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), which would provide random, unannounced testing during the eight weeks before their fight. Here’s what St. Pierre had to say:

“I believe the sport has a problem now. When I first started fighting in mixed martial arts, it didn’t have any money. So, now more money got involved, more ways are there to be cheating to take a shortcut and I believe VADA testing I’m up for it and I invite my opponent to do the VADA testing for the championship fight.

I invite if possible all the high-profile athletes in the UFC to do the same. I believe it’s a good thing. It’s a bit of a pain in the butt sometimes but I believe to make the sport (better)…I’m ready to do it to set a good example.”

If this sounds familiar, it’s because BJ Penn pulled this exact same move before his fight against GSP’s protege Rory MacDonald, implying that the sport (and by extension, his opponent) was dirty, and that it was up to him — MMA’s Last Honest Man — to do something about it.

When Penn did it, it seemed like a cross between self-promotion and preparing an excuse in advance. For St. Pierre, it has a different tenor. This is not about hype — it’s about taking control of the common narrative (among his opponents, at least) that he’s a drug-cheat.

Will VADA-testing actually come to pass for his title-defense against Hendricks? Probably not. UFC president Dana White has bristled in the past when his fighters bring up the idea of additional drug testing for their fights, claiming that drug-testing should only be the responsibility of the athletic commissions. (“When fighters start talking about other guys being drug tested? Shut up. Worry about you.”) But hopefully this will prevent GSP’s future opponents from dragging out the same unfounded attacks about St. Pierre and PEDs. And just in case Johny Hendricks was planning to do the same thing? Well, he can’t now. In fact, he has to say that he’d be down with VADA testing too*, or else he looks suspicious.

Of course, if you’re a Nick Diaz/BJ Penn nuthugger, you probably think that the UFC has already paid off VADA to falsify any drug-test results that GSP might submit in the future, in order to help their golden-boy PPV king keep winning fights and maintain his year-round six-pack. I can’t help you guys. The truth is out there.

* Update: And he has. “Heck ya!” Hendricks told UFC Central Radio on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. “The worst thing that they’re going to find is a little bit of protein in my diet. If eating wild hogs and organic deer meat and a little bit of glutamine is bad for the ol’ system then I might fail…It doesn’t matter. Today, tomorrow, three months from now, I’ll gladly take a test for anything.”