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Is Everyone On Steroids?

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The UFC put on another packed fight week just gone, starting with Fight Night 90 on Thursday, following up with The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finals Friday and finishing with UFC 200 on Saturday July 9. After such a wild week of fights there’s a lot to debate, but perhaps the most poignant topic was what happened outside the octagon. Jon Jones started a sequence of events that once again threaten to hinder his career massively, all dating back to a June 16 failed drug test.

During the stacked and extremely busy UFC fight week USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) pioneer Jeff Novitsky dropped the bomb on ‘Bones” failed dope screen. Removed from UFC 200 and again in a world of trouble, the catastrophic moment reminds us of a question we’ve addressed in the past; Is everyone on steroids?

jon-jones-ap[1]

Although the exact details of Jones’ test are yet to be confirmed, it’s hard to ignore just how many fighters have been failing drug tests recently. Since USADA joined forces with the UFC to clamp down on doping in MMA, legends like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones have fallen foul of tests. Main events have fallen apart, fighters have been served with hefty bans, and the image of the sport repeatedly brought in to question.

As Nate Diaz recently said, via BloodyElbow.com:

“No one ever says what people get busted for when they test positive for steroids,” Diaz said. “But when Nick got busted, ‘what did Nick Diaz get suspended for? Cannabis.’ How come we all know that? How come it never goes away? How come it’s repeatedly talked about?”

“If anybody gets busted for something (and) no one’s saying what it is, it’s f—-ng steroids. You’re all on steroids.”

When Anderson Silva tested positive for anabolic steroids back in 2015 it was like having the wind taken out of our sails. The legend, arguably the greatest fighter of all time, found with steroids in his system. But was this the truth that a few fighters have been telling for years? Is everyone in MMA on steroids? It’s a very dark and dangerous subject to address, and essentially could undermine the sport in its entirety if true.

The question is so much greater than just how many people are cheating, and it pays to remember that USADA hasn’t even found their stride with this whole MMA testing programme. Once they do, it could spell trouble for paying fans and also the promotion. Could it have had anything to do with the Fertitta’s selling up and moving on? That would be purely a speculative opinion.

UFC and Pride legend Dan Henderson recently opined on the controversial topic, claiming steroid use would simply evolve with the trends of testing. An alarming prediction, but there are already loopholes appearing in the testing regime, case in point; ‘Tainted Supplements.’ Could it be that fighters are beginning to take the risk of getting busted because a ‘lighter’ sentence can be handed down if tainted supplements are confirmed? Again, purely speculative, but an interesting muse nonetheless.

The truth of the matter is that steroids have been around MMA way longer than any form of credible drug testing. In the long run we could well see a new generation of ‘clean’ fighters take over the sport, and possibly the case of Michael Bisping is an example of that. Not to accuse Luke Rockhold of steroid abuse, but ‘The Count’ has seen a considerable rise in form since USADA came around, the same cannot be said for many of the fighters that defeated the British middleweight during the TRT era and pre-USADA time.

So what is in store for the future of MMA? One thing is for sure, either through physical form, failed tests or maybe a drop in fighting success, we will eventually have a better picture of how rampant steroids are in MMA. Is everyone using steroids? Well it could be safer to assume yes than no, especially given recent scandals that have been smearing the sport.

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Yoel Romero Hit with “Potential USADA Violation” + An Update to Our Steroid Bust Timeline

(“Gay Jesus, why you have forsaken me yet again?”)

Despite officially being rolled out on July 1st, the UFC’s new, comprehensive drug-testing policy only really went into effect at the start of the new year, according to those in the know. Less than a month later, it appears that USADA has already nabbed its first violator in the form of top middleweight contender Yoel Romero.

The post Yoel Romero Hit with “Potential USADA Violation” + An Update to Our Steroid Bust Timeline appeared first on Cagepotato.

(“Gay Jesus, why you have forsaken me yet again?”)

Last night, the United States Anti-Doping Agency informed Romero of a “potential violation,” claiming that Romero had flunked one of their out-of-competition tests. While the exact substance Romero tested positive for has yet to be revealed, MMAJunkie’s Steven Marrocco took to Twitter to get the rumor mill turning.

“Hearing that Romero popped for a designer steroid – a peptide that increases testosterone production,” wrote Marrocco.

As expected, the UFC released an obligatory statement on Romero’s violation via their website last night.

The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Yoel Romero of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection.

USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Romero. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.

*Yawn*

If you’re interested in hearing some actually interesting thoughts on Romero’s potential violation, look no further than Tim Kennedy, who might still be a little bitter over his controversial loss to Romero at UFC 178.

In fact, the reaction to Romero’s positive test has been pretty similar across the board, with even Michael Bisping piling on Kennedy’s verbal assault.

“So Yoel tests positive, not surprised at all #roider of God is a cheating scumbag, Tweeted Bisping, “@TimKennedyMMA I feel ur pain having been there before.”

Newly-crowned middleweight champion Luke Rockhold wasn’t far behind, writing “I’m sick of all these cheaters. It’s pathetic, man up or get the fuck out.”

As of now, Romero has yet to comment on the issue, but as a former Olympian and one of the names on the short list of middleweight contenders, it’s safe to say that his violation, if proven, will have dire consequences.

Related: In light of the Romero news, we’ve gone ahead and updated our MMA Steroid Busts Timeline to include all of 2015′s violators. We’ll hold off on adding Romero to the list until more information is supplied, but check it out and let us know if there’s anyone we missed.

The post Yoel Romero Hit with “Potential USADA Violation” + An Update to Our Steroid Bust Timeline appeared first on Cagepotato.

Which MMA Fighter Will Test Positive For Steroids Next? A Completely Speculative Investigation

(via Getty)

The past few weeks have been a trying time to be an MMA fan, with random drug tests nailing Anderson Silva (smh), Hector Lombard (could have seen it coming), and Jon Fitch (wah?!) for various types of performance enhancers. MMA has always had something of a drug problem, but 2015 has brought that issue to the forefront with a resounding injection to the buttocks. Worse yet, the UFC’s decision to recently abandon their out-of-competition drug testing program indicates that the sport’s steroid epidemic will only get worse before it gets better.

The question now becomes: Where do we go from here? Well, I’ve talked it over with my highly-dedicated blogging team of less than two people, and the best thing we could think of was to lob a bunch of biased and completely ungrounded accusations at the select group of MMA fighters who’ve yet to test positive for anabolic steroids. F*ck yeah, internet writing!

So without further adieu, join us as we take a look ahead at the hulked-out future of mixed martial arts, and more specifically, which of its fighters will most likely be popped for PED’s.

(via Getty)

So without further adieu, join us as we take a look ahead at the hulked-out future of mixed martial arts, and more specifically, which of its fighters will most likely be popped for PED’s.

The Usual Suspects

Vitor Belfort

Remember how I just said that we would only focus on fighters who *hadn’t* tested positive for steroids before? I lied.

The fact is, Belfort has pissed hot in the past — for 4-hydroxytestosterone following his fight with Dan Henderson at Pride 32 — and experienced a highly suspect career resurgence after jumping on the TRT train back in 2013. Although Belfort has vehemently denied abusing TRT and stated that he only used it to maintain normal testosterone levels, he also managed to transition off the therapy almost seamlessly in the time since. With his title shot against Chris Weidman having been pushed off half a dozen times now, #TheTimeIsRunningOut on Belfort’s vitality as a top-level fighter. If he’s resorted to the juice in the past, our guess is that he’d be willing to do it again.

Rafael Cavalcante

Like Belfort, “Feijao” has also tested positive for steroids in the past. In his final Strikeforce appearance, Cavalcante tested positive for stanozolol following his first rounds submission win over Mike Kyle. He was punished for this by being signed by the UFC. Cavalcante has also dropped two out of his past three UFC fights, meaning that he is in dire need of a win if he is to continue fighting for the Ultimate Roided Fucking Killers League. So what’s he supposed to do? *Not* take steroids, lose his next fight, and receive his pink slip, or take steroids, win the fight, and apologize afterward as a still-current UFC employee? The solution is obvious.

You Know What, Every Black House Fighter

Here’s what we know: Three Black House fighters have tested positive for steroids in the past seven months. The man pictured above is their strength and conditioning coach. He is 57 years old.

The Questionable Physiques

Phil Davis

Just look at that cartoonishly shaped torso. Phil Davis is sculpted like a Greek statue, and we don’t buy for a second that he achieved it naturally. “Mr. Wonderful?” More like “Mr. ROID-derful.” #NailedIt

Todd Duffee

No further comment required.

Thiago Alves

Not only is Thiago Alves the buffest welterweight of all time, but in his most recent fight, he dispatched Jordan Mein — a kickboxer since age 11 — with ONE KICK. How’d he do it? Roids. The answer is clearly roids.

Mirko Cro Cop

According to our diligent research, this photo of Mirko Cro Cop was taken last week and has not been altered in any way, shape, or form. Expect to hear word of his positive test shortly after he dispatches Gabe Gonzaga via nuclear holocaust in April.

Cheick Kongo

Cheick Kongo has pectorals the size of dinner plates and a history of using dirty tactics to win fights. By that logic, why *wouldn’t* he resort to the dirtiest tactic of all to win a few more? Daddy needs all those Bellator dollars to support his crippling addiction to Rocky Mountain oysters.

On the “next page” we take aim at some of the sport’s champions, as well as some of the less obvious (but totally obvious to us) roid heads currently slipping under the radar…

Has the UFC Devolved Into the Ultimate Fighting Circus?

(Photo via Getty)

By CP Reader Gideon Brody

Mixed martial arts has always felt like a kind of fighting utopia. A permanent dream state for lovers of fight sports that occasionally seems almost too good to be true. In a sanitised world, it is the closest and most acceptable iteration of the “no holds barred” concept of combat all fight purists have wet dreams about. Two elite combatants. One locked cage. Very few rules. The best fighter wins, right?

Oh wait, no. We’re back in the land of fantasy again. In fact, with the cold hindsight of UFC 183 and many other recent revelations that are presently clouding the MMA horizon, we’re no longer dreaming or fantasising. We’re standing in a stark reality. And the reality is that MMA – or more specifically, MMA’s standard-bearer and aggressively-insistent market leader, the UFC – is beginning to resemble a bit of a circus.

(Photo via Getty)

By CP Reader Gideon Brody

“But everyone loves a circus!” I hear you cry. Kids loves the circus. Kids up to the age of about 10 love the circus. Right before it becomes socially shameful to admire any form of staged artifice that isn’t the WWE. And increasingly, that is how it feels for all MMA fans. We’re just witnesses to one big sanctioned joke and we’re the dumb people in the audience buying the whole thing. The WWE joke just became the MMA joke.

It’s not like the UFC hasn’t always had the look and feel of a surreal spectacle. It’s sometimes hard to comprehend how this wild, brutal, unreal video game shit hasn’t been either massively regulated by now, or outright stopped. You blink twice at that massive head kick KO or the state of that guy’s face as he battles on for another round and pinch yourself. Is this shit legal? Is this shit really real??

As Real As It Gets™, apparently. And so said all of Zuffa on an all-too frequent basis. Well yeah, it actually was for that innocent moment. We were the wide-eyed kids in the big top laughing at the dude that thinks he’s a cannonball. Like little kids, we kept on piecing together that fragile illusion so many times over. We continued believing in this holy, god-given sport. We believed in the purity of something that stretched back thousands of years. That idea of a gladiator actually walking into an arena full of raucous, bloodthirsty hedonists to the sound of Stemm. Our blood pumped with the insanity of it all.

But now that innocence has gone. An older kid just told us about Royce Gracie. And Josh Barnett. And Stephan Bonnar. And Chael. And Wanderlei. And Cung Le (maybe sorta). And fucking Anderson Silva? Yes. Him. And god knows how many others. The illusion is a shattered mess that desperately needs to be left behind. We’ve grown up with this sport we love, this sport we all had a hand in making, but now we need to demand for more than just staged tricks and circus antics.

So what now? We want something Real. No more sound bites, trademarks or marketing bullshit. We are fed up of being duped and as paying, adult consumers, we deserve better. It isn’t just our money that lines the pockets of the UFC and makes it what it is. It’s our hard work. It’s our passion. Our enthusiasm. Our time. It’s our dumb, childlike innocence that makes us all repeatedly, religiously tune in, and that should not be misused or dismissed.

And what about the fighters? Not all are in on this subterfuge. At least we bloody pray that there is some innocence left within the game itself. It should go without saying that it’s their lives, not ours, that are truly being put at serious risk here. And what of the honest fighter’s career? A life’s work under threat by those who aren’t prepared to work quite as hard. It’s as wrong as it gets. It almost sounds cheap to roll out the same PED clichés. But it will only be a matter of time before the legality of this situation becomes the thing that will close down this phenomenal sport we all love. And heck, why is it even on us to ask these questions of those involved? That in itself is a damning indictment.

Should the buck stop with the fighters, themselves? Of course it should. But fighters are human beings. If a fighter knows there’s a chance they won’t get caught, and there’s a chance their opponent is juicing, etc.? It doesn’t really need further explanation. Does anyone genuinely expect a multitude of individual fighters to act with a universal sense of altruism? Is this even remotely likely? The present situation provides all the evidence needed.

Or do we look to the only realistic solution, to those that already know where the true responsibility lies? Yes, we’re looking at you, Dana and Lorenzo. It will inevitably require the only carrot and stick left in the adult world that elicits any kind of self-discipline (especially in the world of fight sports). That’s right. Money and money. If a main event fighter is caught, not only should the fighter face severe penalties, but the entire event should be pulled or voided and all ticket-holders should be refunded. For other fighters on the bill, the penalties and refunds should be downgraded respectively, but they should still apply. Only then will the potential losses involved act as the conduit for self-regulation. Only then will the UFC be interested in safeguarding its most precious assets.

It behooves the top promotional representatives of this sport to be as responsible as they are wealthy and powerful. The UFC (and other power brokers within the industry) must arrange and fund an elite level of testing if they wish to continue advertising their product as the Ultimate Test. More importantly, the UFC should actively want this sport to be as safe as it can be, for the good of the fighters it claims to protect, and, of course, for the good of itself and the future of this great sport. Or we might as well just accept being those kids at the circus, until we’re all told to wake up.

Brian Stann Becomes the Latest Former Fighter to Rally Against MMA’s “Inadequate” Drug-Testing Policies

(The face of MMA’s anti-PED crusade, ladies and gentlemen.)

Does it say more about the UFC or its athletes that classy, universally-respected guys like Georges St. Pierre and Brian Stann only feel comfortable discussing their gripes with the organization’s drug-testing policies after they have stepped away from the sport? It’s hard to say for sure, but in any case, Stann has followed suit with GSP, first lamenting the sport’s drug issues as a “major part” of why he retired earlier this month before further explaining himself during an appearance on The MMA Hour yesterday.

While Stann refused to name names, he was quick to admit that MMA’s lackadaisical drug-testing has made it easy for many a fighter to cycle on and off PED’s over the years — a trend that will continue to plague the sport until a change is made:

I think the time when you retire coming off a loss and then you say that, what I didn’t want to do was discredit any of my former opponents. You know, specifically seeing that Wanderlei (Silva) was my last fight, I didn’t want to come off like, ‘Hey, I’m making excuses. The only people that beat me were people on drugs.’ I don’t know any of that for a certainty. There’s one time when I fought a guy on TRT when it was allowed, and that’s the only time that I could say substantially somebody was taking something. But, it was a factor.

I’m a clean fighter. I’m 33 years old, and I have seen, in my own training, and in talking and knowing guys in the inner circle, I’ve known what guys are not on, and when they cycle on it. You can feel the difference in the gym and what big a difference it makes, and I do think there are a number of guys who are using just because the testing currently by our athletic commissions is inadequate.

(The face of MMA’s anti-PED crusade, ladies and gentlemen.)

I think the time when you retire coming off a loss and then you say that, what I didn’t want to do was discredit any of my former opponents. You know, specifically seeing that Wanderlei (Silva) was my last fight, I didn’t want to come off like, ‘Hey, I’m making excuses. The only people that beat me were people on drugs.’ I don’t know any of that for a certainty. There’s one time when I fought a guy on TRT when it was allowed, and that’s the only time that I could say substantially somebody was taking something. But, it was a factor.

I’m a clean fighter. I’m 33 years old, and I have seen, in my own training, and in talking and knowing guys in the inner circle, I’ve known what guys are not on, and when they cycle on it. You can feel the difference in the gym and what big a difference it makes, and I do think there are a number of guys who are using just because the testing currently by our athletic commissions is inadequate.

It’s not exactly a revelation to anyone who’s been following MMA for more than a week that the lack of random drug-testing is perhaps the biggest issue facing the sport today. Not helping this plight is NSAC chairman Francisco Aguilar’s confirmation earlier this week that each random drug test costs the NSAC between $35,000 and $45,000 to execute.

Without help from the UFC, Aguilar stated, random drug testing simply can’t be fit into the NSAC’s budget. And if you expect the same people who regularly pay someone $8,000 to get their brains smashed in to pay six times that much for what some (falsely) consider an extraneous test, think again, brotha’.

But there you have it: the fastest-growing sport in the world is neck deep in a drug-testing crisis that can only be solved by money it apparently doesn’t have. I wish I could do something other than throw my hands in the air, but I’m just as confounded as Stann is here. Any suggestions, Nation?

–J. Jones

Dennis Siver Blames Failed UFC 168 Drug Test on New Nutritionist and Diet “Used by the Stars”

(Well shit, if it worked before he shot Skyfall…)

As a longtime fan of German spin-kicker/liver-destroyer Dennis Siver, I was more upset than most to learn that he had failed his UFC 168 drug test for a testicle-preserving banned substance often used in post-steroid cycles. Shocked no, because just look at the dude, but upset nonetheless. And being that we are currently living in the era of shirked responsibility, Siver has now come forth to place the blame on his nutritionist, while simultaneously claiming that his positive test is no one’s fault but his own.

Siver spoke with German publication GroundandPound, and although his excuse may not be on the level of Vinicius Queiroz’s “the sauna gave me steroids,” it is interesting to say the least:

Today I would like to issue a public statement and give my fans and supporters the opportunity to form their own opinion on how the alleged doping allegations against me came about.

Last fall, my coach Niko Sulenta was diagnosed with severe cancer, which lead to me being on my own during the preparations for a UFC fight for the first time, without me being able to draw on his longstanding care and advice. Niko has always been essential to my weight reduction.

So prior to UFC 168 I had to hire an external personal trainer and nutritionist to support me with making weight. The nutritionist recommended me a new diet method from the US, which had been successfully used by the stars.

(Well shit, if it worked before he shot Skyfall…)

Siver spoke with German publication GroundandPound, and although his excuse may not be on the level of Vinicius Queiroz’s “the sauna gave me steroids,“ it is interesting to say the least:

Today I would like to issue a public statement and give my fans and supporters the opportunity to form their own opinion on how the alleged doping allegations against me came about.

Last fall, my coach Niko Sulenta was diagnosed with severe cancer, which lead to me being on my own during the preparations for a UFC fight for the first time, without me being able to draw on his longstanding care and advice. Niko has always been essential to my weight reduction.

So prior to UFC 168 I had to hire an external personal trainer and nutritionist to support me with making weight. The nutritionist recommended me a new diet method from the US, which had been successfully used by the stars.

Thereupon I asked, if I, as a competitive professional athlete, could safely use this supplement. This was confirmed to me. Then I committed the fatal mistake of not making sure through the UFC if individual substances from the supplement could have effects on the drug tests.

I flew to the US and won my fight. I was all the more shocked when the result of the A sample was deemed ’inconclusive’ and I was hoping for the result of the B sample. They found a small component of hCG in my urine sample – a minor ingredient of the diet preparation and a substance which is banned in the UFC.

I do not want to blame anyone for this result and I take full responsibility for my gullible and careless behavior. It was my mistake and it was grossly negligent. But I distance myself from any kind of doping. In my previous sixteen UFC fights, not even the smallest banned substance has been detected. This makes the current events all the more disappointing and shocking for me and my team.

Actual email I received from BG about this story:

“The nutritionist recommended me a new diet method from the US, which had been successfully used by the stars.”

In a related story, Jennifer Lawrence has been checked into a hospital for swollen testicles.

In all seriousness, I almost want to give Siver the benefit of the doubt here. Yes, the man has a physique that is…suspicious, but he’s put in some 17 fights in the UFC — dating all the way back to 2007 — without incident up to this point. His story seems reasonable — a classic tale of a fighter placing too much faith in his physician ala Antonio Silva (poor example) or Ben Rothwell – and while I would personally make sure to double, triple, and quadruple-check every substance I was putting into my body if my paycheck/employment depended on it*, I also don’t have my logical-thinking skills dimmed by a daily input of punches, kicks, and knees**.

An airtight argument, I know, and one that is definitely not biased by my appreciation for the fantastic fights Siver has put on over the years (his UFC 122 scrap with Andre Winner is a personal favorite of mine). But in the hope that his healthy, steroid-free balls may one day produce another spin-kicking, liver-destroying, Daniel-Craig-looking UFC star, I must believe him.

*Thankfully, CP has yet to actually locate my secret lair and make this hellish nightmare a reality.

**The irony being that I’m 75% sure I received a concussion in a mosh pit last night. Never saw that 13-year old girl coming, man.

–J. Jones