Tag: PED’s

The Bum Rush Interview Series: Tyron Woodley Talks New Gym, Next Fight and PEDs in MMA

We had the opportunity to speak with Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley yesterday ahead of the busy grand opening weekend of his St. Louis American Top Team affiliate gym, ATT Evolution and we touched on a variety of topics including his upcoming bout with Canadian prospect Jordan Mein, his gym’s revolutionary youth program and the rampant use of PEDs in the sport. We also touched on his thoughts on the inevitable GSP-Diaz match-up and why he thinks Stockton’s best fighter was right to turn down a fight with him.

You can download the interview directly HERE if you aren’t subscribed to The Bum Rush on iTunes.

Check out the highlights of our chat with T-Wood after the jump.


We had the opportunity to speak with Strikeforce welterweight contender Tyron Woodley yesterday ahead of the busy grand opening weekend of his St. Louis American Top Team affiliate gym, ATT Evolution and we touched on a variety of topics including his upcoming bout with Canadian prospect Jordan Mein, his gym’s revolutionary youth program and the rampant use of PEDs in the sport. We also touched on his thoughts on the inevitable GSP-Diaz match-up and why he thinks Stockton’s best fighter was right to turn down a fight with him.

You can download the interview directly HERE if you aren’t subscribed to The Bum Rush on iTunes.

Check out the highlights of our chat with T-Wood below:

 

On being matched up with relative Strikeforce newcomer, Mein:

He’s had 30 fights in total, so whether they were under the Strikeforce banner or not, he’s fought some legitimate guys and he’s a worthy opponent, so I know why it makes sense to fight him. Once people see us fight, they’ll know why it makes sense as well.

On why Nick Diaz wouldn’t fight him:

His kryptonite is wrestlers — wrestlers in good shape and wrestlers who have power and boxing ability. For him, at that point in his career he wanted to basically fight guys that were strikers, fight guys that would entertain with slugfests. For him to fight a guy like me who wasn’t yet ranked in the top 10 and was trying to make a name for myself, it wouldn’t have been wise for him to take a risky fight, lose and then his marketability goes down. You fight Georges St-Pierre and you make like quadruple the amount of money you make when to fight me. Win or lose you still kind of stay at the same market you’re at or you go up higher.

On who he sees winning an eventual Diaz-GSP match-up:

It all depends on which GSP we get. We’ve seen several GSPs. We’ve got the one ace who fought Matt Hughes and Jon Fitch — the guy who was just really dominant. I think he wins the fight and I think he wins every last round, but I think if he over-utilizes the jab and is super conservative and super patient and just does enough to squeak out the rounds, Diaz might take those shots and he might get in there and give him a run for his money.

On which discipline is dominating the sport right now:

If you look at it, it’s the wrestlers with the striking. Look at Jon Jones…look at Dominick Cruz…look at all of these guys who are successful…except Anderson Silva…. Look at every champion that we have — even Cain Velasquez who just lost — and they were 99.9 percent wrestlers with the exception of Anderson Silva. I consider Georges St-Pierre a wrestler. He does a lot of wrestling and goes against wrestlers and takes them down. I think where our sport is transitioning to is high level wrestling, great conditioning and amazing striking and guys that are just tough. I think the slower-paced fighters are going to get weeded out.

On his new gym and his revolutionary youth program that extends far beyond the mats:

What I’m trying to do with this project is incorporate fitness into the household. We cater to the families and offer classes from two to four every day for kids and anybody can get involved. I’ve seen 80-year-olds in the gi. We let the parents know why we’re doing this and how we plan on doing it and let them know it’s a safe environment. If they get into a fight they’re in trouble with me. If they’re acting up and are disrespectful [at home], they’re in trouble. If they’re fighting at school, they’re going to sit and watch. For me, I reinforce what they’re doing in the home and overall I think the parents are going to appreciate what we’re doing and how we’re going to bring it to their family.

On the alleged epidemic of fighters using PEDs:

I think for me it would be [a case of me] doing more research [it would take too much time and energy] to find out who’s doing what and in what way they’re using it and how they’re trying to… At the end of the day, it’s like with anything done fast, it really don’t last. I haven’t seen anybody that’s been a drug dealer retire from [the money they’ve made] selling drugs. You know what I mean? They either stop while they’re ahead, they go to jail or they end up dead. In this case, most people that are doing [PEDs], they don’t want to work, but they want to surf by. I feel that most of the people doing PEDs or growth hormones or whatever they’re using, if I lose to them, I was going to lose to them [anyway], because they’ve still gotta train, they’ve still gotta be in shape and they’ve still gotta know the discipline. Taking a shot or a pill doesn’t teach you how to punch or proper technique. I have confidence that I’m in good enough shape and training tough enough that I win my bouts whether my opponents are using those extreme supplements or not.

It would take way more energy for me to investigate and form an opinion about it then to just go and train hard. It’s pretty gross out there; let me just tell you that right now. It’s rampant. It’s all over the place and it’s not even really frowned upon anymore. It’s casually distributed and used. It’s unfortunate. It’s not like it’s a situation where certain people have very low testosterone levels and they’ve been prescribed [TRT] through a physician a proper level so they can compete. Most of those people are 40-something and over. I think if you’re 29 and you train hard, your testosterone levels are fine. What we have is people who have access to physicians who are like, ‘You know that, you’re a little bit low. Let me get you back up there where you need to be or higher.’ From the studies I’ve heard that basically if you do it moderately or as recommended, then usually there’s a point where you get off. Nobody ever gets off. They stay on it the whole time. They feel how strong they get, they feel how fast they recover and it’s never used with any formula. Even with the scientific glitch in there, nobody ever gets off it. They just keep going. I just try to focus on the training because I’d be all day trying to figure out who’s on it, who’s not and all of the above.

CagePotato Open Discussion: Should Marijuana be Considered a PED?

(You know who had that look in his eyes? Chris Benoit.) 

Dave Herman’s recent failed pre-fight drug test and subsequent removal from his bout with Mike Russow has sparked debate across the web in regards to marijuana’s power (or lack thereof) as a performance enhancing drug. Some are saying Herman should have been pulled from the fight based on the illegality of the drug alone, a tough issue to deny. However, several studies have shown that certain strands of marijuana can provide a healing effect to the nervous system and could dramatically expedite the healing process of inflamed joints, which could prove incredibly beneficial to someone in the fight game.

Annie Appleseed Project, an alternative treatment foundation, has furthered research on the healing effect of marijuana, particularly to that of damaged nerves. They concluded that marijuana, in fact, can aid the nervous system beyond that of even morphine. Andrew Rice, a senior lecturer in pain at London’s Imperial College, had the following to say about marijuana’s ability to rehabilitate:

(You know who had that look in his eyes? Chris Benoit.) 

Dave Herman’s recent failed pre-fight drug test and subsequent removal from his bout with Mike Russow has sparked debate across the web in regards to marijuana’s power (or lack thereof) as a performance enhancing drug. Some are saying Herman should have been pulled from the fight based on the illegality of the drug alone, a tough issue to deny. However, several studies have shown that certain strands of marijuana can provide a healing effect to the nervous system and could dramatically expedite the healing process of inflamed joints, which could prove incredibly beneficial to someone in the fight game.

Annie Appleseed Project, an alternative treatment foundation, has furthered research on the healing effect of marijuana, particularly to that of damaged nerves. They concluded that marijuana, in fact, can aid the nervous system beyond that of even morphine. Andrew Rice, a senior lecturer in pain at London’s Imperial College, had the following to say about marijuana’s ability to rehabilitate:

It’s known that if you injure a nerve, the morphine receptors in the spinal cord disappear and that’s probably why morphine isn’t a very effective pain killer for such conditions as shingles, people who have had an amputation or perhaps if cancer has invaded the spinal cord…But what we’ve shown is that the cannabinoid receptors do not disappear when you injure a nerve. So this could offer a therapeutic advantage over morphine for treating such pain.

There is no doubt of the possible benefits marijuana could provide an injured fighter, and with the ever increasingly legality of medical marijuana, why should those who sacrifice their bodies for a living be denied a possible means of rehabilitation? Now, I want to make something clear, I am not saying that painkillers should be legalized across the board based solely on the fact that they can aid the healing process. But unlike other forms of painkillers, marijuana does not mask the pain completely, it rather helps speed up the healing process while providing minor stress relief. Another issue, though perhaps a fickle one, is that of cost. Struggling fighters often cannot afford the necessary treatment to rehab their injuries, and could turn to marijuana as a financially reasonable means of aiding any nagging afflictions.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission, responsible for the decision in the infamous Nick Diaz/Takanori Gomi debacle, was one of the first to put forth the sentiment that marijuana was considered a performance enhancer. NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer, when questioned about the issue immediately following the incident, had this to say:

 The main issue with marijuana is it slows the reflexes, putting the fighter at much greater risk. We would not let a fighter compete who is coming off arm surgery and has not fully recovered his reflexes, or who is under the influence of alcohol because of the same issue. Additionally, it may also deaden some pain. That could hurt the fighter… he may not tap out when he should and he suffers broken bones or torn ligaments as a result… or that could unfairly help him if he can trade punches more easily with his opponent.

Herein lies the issue; can marijuana significantly alter a fighter’s performance on the same level as a true PED like steroids, or should fighters that test positive for the substance be given a lighter sentence? And if marijuana were legally allowed for rehabilitative purposes, what kind of restrictions would have to be instilled (ie. time a fighter would be allowed to consume marijuana before a given fight) in order to ensure the fighter’s safety?

I ask you,  Potato Nation, to stake your claim on the issue in the comments section, using as much profane language as necessary, of course.

-Danga

Matt Serra on PED’s in MMA: “Me and BJ Penn Are in That Small Percentage That Don’t Do Sh*t.”

Matt Serra, and his bucket of rigatoni, make their way to the cage.

Earlier this week UFC fighter Krzysztof Soszynski made the bold statement that the vast majority of MMA fighters—somewhere between 85-96%–are getting some sort of illegal chemical boost in the training room. Yesterday a bigger, more easily-spelled name in the sport spoke out in support of those allegations. In an interview with MMA Weekly, Matt Serra weighed in on what he considers to be a serious problem in the fight game.

“It’s wrong man, it’s really wrong. Let me tell you something. I got to the title without doing anything. I didn’t use anything,” Serra commented. “Me and BJ Penn are in that small percentage that don’t do (expletive). There’s a lot of guys that are considered legends, and they’re doing the GH and doing this and that, and it’s obvious, it’s freaking obvious.”

Matt Serra, and his bucket of rigatoni, make their way to the cage.

Earlier this week UFC fighter Krzysztof Soszynski made the bold statement that the vast majority of MMA fighters—somewhere between 85-96%–are getting some sort of illegal chemical boost in the training room. Yesterday a bigger, more easily-spelled name in the sport spoke out in support of those allegations. In an interview with MMA Weekly, Matt Serra weighed in on what he considers to be a serious problem in the fight game.

“It’s wrong man, it’s really wrong. Let me tell you something. I got to the title without doing anything. I didn’t use anything,” Serra commented. “Me and BJ Penn are in that small percentage that don’t do (expletive). There’s a lot of guys that are considered legends, and they’re doing the GH and doing this and that, and it’s obvious, it’s freaking obvious.”

The past year has proven to be an eye-opener in terms of the blight of performance enhancing drugs in Mixed Martial Arts. Unapproved or improperly applied Testorone Replacement Therapy and fake dongs have brought the problem to light, and while neither Soszynski nor Serra cite any specifics in their findings, they have very little motivation to share an opinion that will undoubtedly prove unpopular with the Zuffa brass. As more fighters come out to address the issue it will be harder to ignore, and with the UFC’s jump to “mainstream” television, they can expect more “mainstream” scrutiny. As it stands now, many MMA-specific journalists are too concerned with being denied behind-the-scenes access to ask the tough questions. Us? We don’t really have those concerns, and it’s doubtful that more seasoned members of the media will be intimidated from covering the subject.

Beyond violating a certain expectation of fair play that we’d all like to believe was held sacred in professional sports, Serra is concerned that the augmented strength and stamina of some fighters could lead to grave injury inside of the cage.

“It’s one thing if you’re fighting for an hour, but you got 15 minutes in there. There’s certain teams out there that look like they got a freaking chemist assigned to them. It’s not that I want to judge anybody, but hey man, I’m fighting these people. Next thing you know you’re in there fighting a guy with unlimited energy that looks like a He-Man figure. I don’t give a (expletive) if it’s happening in baseball, but when a guy can kick your head off, someone can get hurt. There’s a chance for serious bodily harm.”

It’s impossible to predict when the next scandal will unfold, especially since a positive test by an up and comer rarely makes a blip on the news radar. But we know that there will be more fighters getting popped; the only question is what consequences they will face as a result.

Matt Serra States That Only a Small Percentage of Fighters Do Not Use PED’s

Performance enhancing drugs, or PED’s, have become the hot topic of great conversation lately within the mixed martial arts community. Nate Marquardt formally introduced this discussion to the masses following his failed drug test to secure the n…

Performance enhancing drugs, or PED’s, have become the hot topic of great conversation lately within the mixed martial arts community. Nate Marquardt formally introduced this discussion to the masses following his failed drug test to secure the necessary license to compete at the UFC Live on Versus 4 event in Pittsburgh, Pa. Suspended from his main-event […]

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Matt Serra States That Only a Small Percentage of Fighters Do Not Use PED’s

UFC Light Heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski Estimates 85 to 96% of MMA Fighters Use PEDs


(The only substance K-Sos uses these days is horse blood.)

During an appearance on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour on Tuesday, Krzysztof Soszynski made a somewhat surprising revelation that at least 85 to as many as 96% percent of MMA athletes use some form of performance enhancing drug. According to the veteran fighter, you can tell by looking at a fighter’s physique who is and who isn’t using and he would know, considering that prior to becoming a fighter he competed in professional bodybuilding and spent a few years as a pro wrestler.

Although he stopped short of actually saying that he had anabolic help building his hulking physique, “The Polish Experiment” said that he has never used illegal substances since he began fighting.

“Back in the days when I was a bodybuilder, obviously it was a little different, but for mixed martial arts, I don’t [use PEDs],” he told host Ariel Helwani. I don’t believe in it.”


(The only substance K-Sos uses these days is horse blood.)

During an appearance on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour on Tuesday, Krzysztof Soszynski made a somewhat surprising revelation that at least 85 to as many as 96% percent of MMA athletes use some form of performance enhancing drug. According to the veteran fighter, you can tell by looking at a fighter’s physique who is and who isn’t using and he would know, considering that prior to becoming a fighter he competed in professional bodybuilding and spent a few years as a pro wrestler.

Although he stopped short of actually saying that he had anabolic help building his hulking physique, “The Polish Experiment” said that he has never used illegal substances since he began fighting.

“Back in the days when I was a bodybuilder, obviously it was a little different, but for mixed martial arts, I don’t [use PEDs],” he told host Ariel Helwani. I don’t believe in it.”

By Soszynski’s estimation then, at least 227 of the UFC’s 267 fighters are using chemicals to cheat — which is crazy if true.

Having trained at a few gyms from Team Tompkins in Canada to Team Quest and now Reign Training Centre in California, the Polish-born Canada-raised light heavyweight has been around a lot of fighters and says he’s been offered a lot of different substances to aid in recovery, muscle building and weight loss.

“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,” he explains. “It’s just amazing to me how far athletes are willing to go to make their mark in this sport.”

Although he maintains that he doesn’t partake in any of the drugs he knows other fighters do, Soszynski says that the temptation to cheat increases as the monetary incentives go up.

“If there’s a substance you can take out there that’s going to make you bigger, stronger, more explosive, going to help you train harder, going to help you train longer and it’s going to help with your recovery as well and you know if you take it the right way and follow the right instructions you’ll never get caught for it, wouldn’t you take it?”

A better question is, why would fighters ever stop using PEDs if the promotions don’t seem to really take a hard stance with those caught red handed?

UFC: Kryztof Soszynski Claims 85 Percent of Mixed Martial Artists Are on PEDs

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 percen…

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 […]

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UFC: Kryztof Soszynski Claims 85 Percent of Mixed Martial Artists Are on PEDs