“VADA anti-doping has offered to sponsor our upcoming fight. I’ve accepted and invite you to help me clean up the sport. VADA results will be released after the fight to ensure that the fight happens. Lets get started asap!!”
“VADA anti-doping has offered to sponsor our upcoming fight. I’ve accepted and invite you to help me clean up the sport. VADA results will be released after the fight to ensure that the fight happens. Lets get started asap!!”
And how about this “results will be released after the fight to ensure that the fight happens” business? Translation: “Even if you decide to use steroids during this training camp, nobody has to know until after the fight, and we can both still get paid, so it’s totally cool.” Is that supposed to make us feel better about VADA’s legitimacy, or Penn’s commitment to fair competition? How is this going to “clean up the sport” if the fight could theoretically still proceed with at least one of the fighters using performance enhancing drugs? What’s Penn’s angle here, outside of self-promotion?
Luckily, MacDonald has already responded to this mess: “already worried BJ? honestly i think its a great idea 2, and im ready to do the testing for our fight as well.”
Now, whether or not the UFC will actually allow Penn and MacDonald to go rogue and conduct their own drug testing outside of the athletic commissions is beside the point, I guess. But it’s nice to see MacDonald call Penn’s bluff. Once again, I’m reminded of the eerie prophecy that Penn made at the end of this classic clip. MacDonald is that 12-year-old kid, finally meeting up with the original “Prodigy” at the end of his career. No amount of fight-stipulations in the world are going to prevent the inevitable from happening.
Penn vs. MacDonald is slated to go down at UFC 152, September 22nd at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Like a true champion, Junior Dos Santos has found an all-natural way to shrink his testicles. (Photo: paperlenses.wordpress.com)
Between irresponsible TRT use and baseless speculation concerning the recent injury epidemic, the use of performance enhancing drugs in MMA has cast the sport in a rather negative light of late. So it’s a breath of fresh air to have a fighter not only come out against PED use, but to express a willingness to take part in more comprehensive drug tests. And it’s even better when that fighter is the current UFC heavyweight champion. In a recent press conference, Junior Dos Santos stated that he advocated random blood testing for his future fights for both himself and his opponents.
“I am champion and never have used anything, and I am proud to say that. It is unfair to use substances. With or without authorization, it makes a difference. A fighter who can do this kind of treatment is not himself in the octagon and using tricks to improve [his] performance.”
This is significant for three reasons. First, because Junior Dos Santos said it. It’s unlikely that Dana White will read this and retort “I would rather watch flys [sic] fuck,” as he did when Ben Askren accused White of not doing enough to prevent the use of PEDs. If your heavyweight champion wants something, especially when that something will contribute to the legitimacy of your sport, you’d do well to accommodate him.
More on the need for increased testing after the jump…
Between irresponsible TRT use and baseless speculation concerning the recent injury epidemic, the use of performance enhancing drugs in MMA has cast the sport in a rather negative light of late. So it’s a breath of fresh air to have a fighter not only come out against PED use, but to express a willingness to take part in more comprehensive drug tests. And it’s even better when that fighter is the current UFC heavyweight champion. In a recent press conference, Junior Dos Santos stated that he advocated random blood testing for his future fights for both himself and his opponents.
“I am champion and never have used anything, and I am proud to say that. It is unfair to use substances. With or without authorization, it makes a difference. A fighter who can do this kind of treatment is not himself in the octagon and using tricks to improve [his] performance.”
This is significant for three reasons. First, because Junior Dos Santos said it. It’s unlikely that Dana White will read this and retort “I would rather watch flys [sic] fuck,” as he did when Ben Askren accused White of not doing enough to prevent the use of PEDs. If your heavyweight champion wants something, especially when that something will contribute to the legitimacy of your sport, you’d do well to accommodate him.
What is also significant is the type of testing that Dos Santos is advocating; random blood testing. Blood testing in and of itself is a significant improvement, but isn’t an end all solution; it can still be beat. The more important aspect of the proposed testing would be the random factor. Most fighters who use PEDs cycle off around two weeks prior to their fights, not only to avoid testing positive but to be at peak performance. Testosterone may help athletes recover and build strength, but it also causes their muscles to tense, which restricts fluid movement in a fight, and their bodies to retain water. Part of the reason Rampage missed weight so badly against Ryan Bader was because he mistimed his testosterone cycle and was unable to lose the water weight he needed.
As a result, most fighters won’t test positive when the tests are administered before or after a fight. But getting tested in the middle of training camp is a different story. The question is who would do the testing? Ideally, it would be an independent entity like the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), which ex-BALCO owner Victor Conte has been recommending for some time. But if it’s the UFC, there will inevitably be some skepticism. I’m not saying the UFC would withhold information pertaining to a positive test for one of its fighters that could derail a highly anticipated matchup between two of their most marketable commodities which could make them lots and lots of money. I’m just saying that they have every incentive to do so.
Finally, it’s important that Dos Santos doesn’t distinguish between fighters who use “with or without authorization.” Dana White has recently hinted that the UFC will take a more proactive approach to drug testing, but I can’t help but find it convenient that this newfound initiative comes at a time when acquiring and using performance enhancing drugs is merely a matter of getting a doctor-approved prescription. Would the UFC agree with Dos Santos that there is no distinction between authorized testosterone and non-authorized steroids? Perhaps not. But if Dos Santos has his way, fighters using TRT will at least be forced to manage their testosterone levels during their camps, which is something they’re currently not required to do.
Of course, so far this is all just talk. I don’t doubt Dos Santos’ sincerity – the man is probably fairly pissed considering his original opponent was supposedly injected with testosterone by the man responsible for the world’s worst Brazilian butt lift (yes, that is a thing), and his replacement simply did the same thing but was smart enough to ask permission from the government first. However, it’s too early to say if the UFC or any of its fighters will agree to the stipulations. If they do choose to undergo heightened testing though, this could mark the beginning of a new era in combat sports. It could even elevate the sport’s drug standards far beyond those of the major four sports. Though some collateral damage should be expected – there’s no way Nick Diaz is coming out of retirement if he has to deal with more drug tests.
If you listened to the crowds wildly cheering UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson following his 51-second knockout over Dave Herman at UFC 146, you would find it easy to believe that the man known as “Big Country” is one of the most popular fighters…
If you listened to the crowds wildly cheering UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson following his 51-second knockout over Dave Herman at UFC 146, you would find it easy to believe that the man known as “Big Country” is one of the most popular fighters in the division. Unfortunately for Nelson, sometimes it seems that the men […]
The UFC has a serious problem on its hands. This is bigger than the usual problems like free agent fighters and repairing injury-riddled cards. The UFC is at a serious crossroads when it comes to PED use, and it is not coming down on a side that the pu…
The UFC has a serious problem on its hands. This is bigger than the usual problems like free agent fighters and repairing injury-riddled cards. The UFC is at a serious crossroads when it comes to PED use, and it is not coming down on a side that the public should be happy with. The talk, […]
(Come on guys, I promise never to let you down again…pinky swear! / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)
By Josh Hutchinson
Alistair Overeem — former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion, K-1 Grand Prix champion, two-time World MMA Awards International Fighter of the Year recipient, horse-meat enthusiast, music video superstar, and the #1 contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division. By now we all know the drama surrounding him and his scheduled championship fight at UFC 146. We’ve seen various replacement opponents for Junior Dos Santos get shot down, and have come to a general consensus that the Reem is most likely a cheating bastard. Fans and pundits alike have collectively called bullshit on the idea that NSAC would still consider letting the fight occur. If you take things like science, logic, and common sense into account, it’s pretty obvious what should happen here — but if we don’t play devil’s advocate, who will? Instead, let’s look at three reasons why Overeem vs. Dos Santos must happen. For example…
1) Why let all this publicity go to waste? Of the major MMA news stories that have popped up over the last few weeks, which one has dominated the headlines? If you said “Overeem’s urine analysis results,” then congratulations — you’ve not only been reading this site, but you have a much better vocabulary than me, because I would have said “Reem’s hot piss test.” For better or worse, Overeem’s dodgy test results have consumed the MMA world like the plagues of Egypt, and his name is on everyone’s lips. Maybe it’s not exactly the publicity that the UFC was hoping for, but they’d be fools not to take advantage of it. Dos Santos is such a likeable, soft-spoken character, and it would be very easy to spin the Reem as the villain in their match. And suddenly, what was simply a great heavyweight matchup just got a compelling storyline.
(Come on guys, I promise never to let you down again…pinky swear! / Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle)
By Josh Hutchinson
Alistair Overeem — former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion, K-1 Grand Prix champion, two-time World MMA Awards International Fighter of the Year recipient, horse-meat enthusiast, music video superstar, and the #1 contender in the UFC’s heavyweight division. By now we all know the drama surrounding him and his scheduled championship fight at UFC 146. We’ve seen various replacement opponents for Junior Dos Santos get shot down, and have come to a general consensus that the Reem is most likely a cheating bastard. Fans and pundits alike have collectively called bullshit on the idea that NSAC would still consider letting the fight occur. If you take things like science, logic, and common sense into account, it’s pretty obvious what should happen here — but if we don’t play devil’s advocate, who will? Instead, let’s look at three reasons why Overeem vs. Dos Santos must happen. For example…
1) Why let all this publicity go to waste? Of the major MMA news stories that have popped up over the last few weeks, which one has dominated the headlines? If you said “Overeem’s urine analysis results,” then congratulations — you’ve not only been reading this site, but you have a much better vocabulary than me, because I would have said “Reem’s hot piss test.” For better or worse, Overeem’s dodgy test results have consumed the MMA world like the plagues of Egypt, and his name is on everyone’s lips. Maybe it’s not exactly the publicity that the UFC was hoping for, but they’d be fools not to take advantage of it. Dos Santos is such a likeable, soft-spoken character, and it would be very easy to spin the Reem as the villain in their match. And suddenly, what was simply a great heavyweight matchup just got a compelling storyline.
Besides, the UFC needs all the marquee fights it can get right now. The promotion’s relentless expansion has given us 14 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter (with two versions currently airing in two different countries), a monster broadcasting deal with FOX, and the ground-work for Zuffa’s eventual global domination. What we’ve also seen is dropping viewership for the reality show, unspectacular numbers for the FOX broadcasts, and the loss of one of their biggest pay-per-view draws of all time in the form of a questionably tattooed professional wrestler named Brock Lesnar. If the UFC wants to keep the wrestling fans that Lesnar brought over with him, who better than The Reem? Christ, the man already looks like a pro wrestler, and he was the fighter responsible for ushering Brock back to his natural “sport” in the first place. For those crossover viewers, Overeem is the perfect heir apparent for Lesnar’s proverbial passing of the larger-than-life heavyweight torch. Not only did he send Lesnar packing, but he did in such a dominant fashion that even WWE fanboys wanted to see an encore performance.
2) Overeem sure as hell isn’t the only main event fighter to fail a test for PEDs/testosterone/etc. Take Chael Sonnen, for instance. He came in with a T:E ratio even higher than Overeem’s, charmed the CSAC until his suspension was cut in half, and will be fighting for the middleweight title again this summer. It’s not like a funky test is a career-killer, as long as you can still put asses in seats. Just ask Josh Barnett and Tim Sylvia, who both had to relinquish UFC heavyweight titles because of steroid busts, before resuming their careers like nothing happened. Or Vitor Belfort, Stephen Bonnar, Sean Sherk, and Chris Leben, who are still under contract with the UFC. Or Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, both original members of the UFC Hall of Fame. Does a past suspension for PED use take away from their accomplishments? Maybe. As I said in the introduction, I’m not here to throw around facts like some asshole in a parade throws out candy — I’m only here to make unsupportable claims. As I’m sure you’ve all watched these fighters at some point (big stretch right?), you know that they’re some of the most exciting fighters in the game, and we fans, above all else, like a good scrap. Which brings me to my final point…
3) Who the hell in their right mind doesn’t want to see this fight? Has there been a better UFC heavyweight matchup since Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia? (Note: feel free to argue for Mir vs. Lesnar 2, but don’t waste my time by mentioning Velazquez vs. Dos Santos.) The build-up alone has been phenomenal. In all honesty, the Dutchman and the Brazilian will produce as great a stand-up battle as we could ever hope for in this sport, and deep down, we all know this is the match that everyone wants to see, including the guys who call the shots at Zuffa. Therefore, Mr. Keith Kizer, if you are reading this, and the NSAC decides to let Overeem fight, it would be much appreciated if you could let “them” know that we supported this decision all along. Lord knows we could use some good credit in regards to certain UFC brass.
Well Nation, you have heard my arguments, which should passionately appeal to the alcoholics, drug addicts, and assorted nutjobs out there. (You know who you are.) Until we all find out the outcome of this tawdry little soap opera, feel free to argue about it in the comments section…
These are trying times for MMA fans, what with huge main events being potentially canceled due to the usage of performance-enhancing drugs. Thank goodness for men like Kenny Florian, then. Florian may not go into the UFC Hall of Fame, but few others ca…
These are trying times for MMA fans, what with huge main events being potentially canceled due to the usage of performance-enhancing drugs. Thank goodness for men like Kenny Florian, then. Florian may not go into the UFC Hall of Fame, but few others can match his output at such high levels of competition. Did he […]
