From steroids to testosterone to HGH and even marijuana, drugs and drug testing in MMA is a hot-button issue that won't go away. But anti-doping experts say that solving a complicated problem requires not only asking the right questions, but also the courage to follow wherever the answers may lead.
Feb 17, 2012 - If you want to give Dr. Don Catlin a laugh, ask him what he thinks of the use of therapeutic-use exemptions (TUEs) for testosterone in the sport of mixed martial arts. Ask the 73-year-old anti-doping pioneer and International Olympic Committee member if he thinks there’s ever a situation where pro fighters -- even those in their 40s -- should be given permission to use testosterone, and then sit back and listen to his low chuckling response.
"That’s a joke," Catlin laughed. "Forget it. It’s a joke."
Catlin should know. The founder of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab, Catlin is responsible for developing such ground-breaking anti-doping innovations as the carbon isotope ratio test, which has been used to catch Olympic medalists using testosterone or a precursor. He also identified and developed a test for "The Clear" -- the designer steroid at the center of the BALCO investigation in 2003.
In addition to that expertise, Catlin also sits on the medical commission for the IOC that’s responsible for reviewing TUE applications from Olympic athletes, so he knows exactly what the process should look like when it’s being overseen by trained professionals -- which isn’t what’s happening right now in MMA, he said.
"What we do in the IOC, is we have specialists all over the world who all they do for us is conduct examinations for athletes who claim to be low on testosterone," said Catlin. "The levels of testosterone in men vary all over the place. Unless this particular person we send them to, and the people they send the data to for examination say so, we don’t give them [a TUE]. I think in all the years I’ve done it, we’ve given two. One was a kid who didn’t have any testicles because he had a terrible accident ten years ago or something. It just doesn’t happen."
And yet, in MMA it does happen. Fighters like Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, among others, have successfully applied for and received permission to use testosterone. Plenty more are rumored to be using it without an exemption, and in Catlin’s experience it’s the "preferred" performance-enhancing drug for athletes, in part because of the difficulty of detecting it.
"They like testosterone because they can use a form of testosterone that’s short-acting. It’s on and off in a day or two," he said. "Stanozolol is pretty good, but that has complications, including some liver troubles. Testosterone doesn’t have those kind of troubles, but you take it for life."
To even effectively catch testosterone users, you need a carbon isotope ratio test, which Catlin said most athletic commissions either don’t do, or don’t follow up on. And to dependably catch any athlete who’s doping in any way, you need the element of surprise and enough resources to make the most of it.
According to its critics, drug testing in MMA currently has neither, which is also why the sport has a serious drug problem that it isn’t even close to solving. Exactly how it should go about addressing that issue is a complicated answer, and one where a lot depends on who you’re asking.
It’s the Testing, Stupid
Last month Zuffa announced that, as of Jan. 1, 2012, all incoming fighters would be drug tested prior to completing their contracts with either the UFC or Strikeforce.
"We already work closely with athletic commissions to protect our athletes and now we're taking it one step further," UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said in the press release announcing the move. "We're going to test any potential UFC or STRIKEFORCE fighter before finalizing their contract. This shows that we don't want performance-enhancing drugs in our sport."
The timing of the announcement was curious enough. It came about a week after Strikeforce 145-pound women’s champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos tested positive for the steroid stanozolol in California, and mere hours after it was announced that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Mo Lawal had tested positive for drostanolone in Nevada.
Those results might show that fight night drug testing isn’t wholly useless, but neither it nor the new-signee tests are sufficient, according to former NSAC ringside physician and current president of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), Dr. Margaret Goodman.
"The smart fighter, the fighter who plans ahead, can probably pass the tests that are done by the athletic commissions every time," said Goodman, a Las Vegas-based neurologist. "I think it’s great to do tests on new fighters before they sign with Zuffa, but again, that’s giving them some notice. ...True unannounced testing gives the athlete about an hour’s notice. That’s the way we do it with VADA, that’s how it’s done with the Olympic program, and that’s the way it should be done. It’s the only way to really do an unannounced program."
It’s also costly. When boxers Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz agreed to be the first two fighters to have their bout subject to VADA testing, the organization subjected them to an array of tests that will end up costing "about $6,000 per fighter," Goodman said.
"That’s expensive, I know. But the bottom line is, if you’re going to do the testing, then do the testing. If you’re not going to do it and really look for the drugs that fighters are using, then don’t do it at all."
While Goodman’s dollar figure sounds high to Catlin, who said he could fund a testing program "for a year with that kind of money," he agreed that state commissions don’t have the resources to effectively run a testing program. Individual organizations like the UFC, which declined requests for comment on this story, can’t be left to police themselves, he said.
"When it comes to control and state athletic commissions, that’s not the way to go. They don’t have the resources, and more than that, they don’t have the know-how. They don’t know what a positive for testosterone is, and they don’t know what to do about it. That’s why I have zero or little faith in them. They’d be better off pooling together than being separate groups. The UFC should put money in, but they can’t control it. That’s the trouble they have now. ...They have a new UFC testing program that I’ve read about, and the UFC is very excited about it. That’s good. But what are they doing? What are they testing for? I can’t tell you. You cannot have the sport itself tied to the testing. That doesn’t work. You have to have an independent body that is not subject to all the in-house pressures."
Nevada vs. the World
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer is used to criticisms of everything from his agency’s approach to drug-testing to its punishment of those athletes who are caught using. Since Las Vegas is still the fight capital of the world in the eyes of many boxing and MMA fans, the spotlight falls on Kizer’s commission more often than most.
Kizer is willing to accept some of that criticism, but when he hears the NSAC being judged by the standards of international organizations like the IOC, he can’t help but feel that it’s "a bit of an apples to oranges comparison," he said.
"To me, it’s not the funding so much as the lack of other resources. We’re just one state. We’re one state, in one country, so obviously we’re going to have less ability than a national or international agency."
Not only is the state of Nevada tasked with keeping tabs on fighters all over the globe, he said, but they don’t get adequate notice of which fighters will fall under their jurisdiction. The IOC knows well in advance who has qualified for Olympic events, and who should be subject to out-of-competition testing, but the NSAC doesn’t have that luxury.
"Tell me who’s going to be fighting on the [UFC] card here [in Las Vegas] on July 7," Kizer said. "I don’t think even Dana [White] and [UFC matchmaker] Joe [Silva] can tell me that right now."
Even when the organization does attempt to conduct out-of-competition testing, as it did before the Alistair Overeem-Brock Lesnar bout in December, it runs up against problems that most state agencies aren’t equipped to deal with. When it struggled to get Overeem to submit the appropriate sample in a timely fashion, Kizer said, "the issue...wasn’t that he was in Utah, it was that he was in Holland."
In that case, Overeem’s sample came in weeks after his camp was informed that he needed to take an out-of-competition test, but the former Strikeforce heavyweight champ was granted a conditional license anyway, following a hearing that the NSAC took undue criticism for, according to Kizer.
"What could we have done differently there? ...I guess you could just say that if there’s anything less than absolute, 100 percent compliance then we’re just going to say no as a matter of course. I don’t know if that’s fair either, though."
It’s a similar situation with the therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone, Kizer said. The NSAC doesn’t take quite as hardline a stance on it as Catlin and IOC medical commission, he admitted, but it’s not as if TUEs are handed out frequently, either.
"I think there’s an impression among the general public that everybody’s getting exemptions for [testosterone replacement therapy]. I can’t speak for other states, but for us it’s probably about one a year asking and it’s 50/50 whether they’ll get approved. To even ask you’ve got to be able to prove that your testosterone is below normal -- not just low -- but below normal. Then you have to have a note from your doctor detailing your treatment plan, what the underlying cause is, showing that it’s not going to put you at undue risk or give you an unfair advantage, and then our doctor talks to their doctor."
Applicants are then asked whether they’ve ever failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs, whether they’ve ever used them either in this sport or others, and what other treatments they might have tried. Even then, applications are ultimately denied as often as they’re approved, Kizer said.
"I’d say in the...almost six years that I’ve been [executive director] we’ve definitely had less than a handful of guys get approved and less than a handful be denied. It’s probably been about the same amount, like three [approved] and three [denied]. There’s also been requests for [exemptions for] ADHD drugs. I know there’s one where the doctor said no and one where he said yes. And that’s about it. Usually it’s something like an asthma inhaler or cold medicine."
When Kizer hears people like Catlin or Goodman criticizing the NSAC’s testing procedures, he’s wary of people who may be trying to drum up business for their own drug-testing organizations, he said -- a problem that a state-run agency doesn’t have.
"All our information is public. Fight night testing goes through Quest Labs -- that’s not a secret," Kizer said. "They do two different tests," including one for "steroids, diuretics, and masking agents" and one for drugs of abuse like marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines. The NSAC uses the same prohibited substances list as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Kizer said, and the list is freely available to athletes and the public.
"I had [former UFC heavyweight champion] Josh Barnett ask me once, ‘Where do I get a list?’ Well, here you go. WADA-AMA.org, the list of prohibited substances. Look it up. We actually have that codified in our regulations as well as on our website."
The Cheaters and the Cheated
If there’s one thing that almost all parties in the debate agree on, it’s that something has to be done. In a combat sport like MMA, the risks that come with performance-enhancing drugs are simply too great to ignore, according to orthopedic surgeon and MMA Junkie columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin.
"It’s one thing if a baseball player is taking performance-enhancing drugs and crushing a baseball out of the park, but it’s a whole other thing if a fighter’s taking them and crushing their opponent with super-physiological ability," said Benjamin.
It’s a sentiment the NSAC’s Kizer has been echoing for years, and one the executive director is glad to see is gaining some traction, he said.
"This isn’t just about cheating. This is about perhaps killing someone," Kizer said. "..And yet, there are still people doing steroids in MMA and boxing, people who, if you went to them and said, ‘Hey, I could put some brass knuckles in your gloves and guarantee you no one will find out about it,’ they’d tell you to get the eff away from them. And yet they’ll take steroids."
As Kizer sees it, PEDs are not just a risk to the fighter who’s competing against an abuser of them, but also to the fighter who feels compelled to get on them just to even the odds.
"Steroids are illegal because of the damage they do to the person taking it. You don’t want to have another person who doesn’t want to take it feel like they have to in order to compete. I think there’s been a lot of athletes over the years who have taken steroids not because they want an unfair advantage, but because they want a level playing field."
And yet, not all banned substances are created equal. Some may pose serious risks to users and those who compete against them, but others, like marijuana, seem to present no such danger, at least according to onlookers like Dr. Benjamin.
"I think one place where an arbitrary line has been drawn is with marijuana use," said Benjamin, who noted that fighting under the influence of the drug would be dangerous for combatants and make brain injuries harder to diagnose, "but if someone smokes marijuana several days before competition, obviously it’s not still active in their system. They’re no longer high or under the influence, but they still have metabolites, and are likely to fail a urine test. That’s a very gray area to me."
Even Catlin said that while he’s not "a fan of a great deal of marijuana testing," there is "some rationale to it" with sports like MMA and boxing.
"Generally though, it’s a recreational drug, and I don’t think drug testing in sport should be used to control recreation," said Catlin.
Fighters like Nick Diaz, who has a prescription for medical marijuana in his home state of California, could make "a very legitimate argument" for a medical exemption, according to Benjamin, who said he’s "waiting for the first person to disclose that on their pre-fight paperwork, and see what the athletic commission in the responsible jurisdiction does."
According to Kizer, it hasn’t happened yet, at least not in Nevada. If it did, he said, the commission would take the same steps it takes in any other request for an exemption, including examining the medical issue that the banned substance purports to treat, and asking if there’s a non-prohibited substance that can offer the same or similar treatment.
But when it comes to serious issues affecting the sport, few in MMA would say that the focus needs to be on stamping out recreational drug use. It’s the performance-enhancing kind that has fighters talking among themselves, said Dr. Goodman, and it’s something of an open secret in fight gyms everywhere.
"After having spoken to 75 to 100 MMA athletes, I hear the same story. They’re all aware of other fighters using performance-enhancing substances, whether it’s steroids or testosterone or Human Growth Hormone or blood doping, I hear these stories all the time. In trying to put the [VADA] program together, I had to talk to as many [MMA] fighters and boxers and trainers, and it’s something I hear over and over again."
What few people agree is on what to do about it, and who should foot the bill. Those with a stake in the game, like Goodman, say the UFC and other organizations should hire a third party like VADA to do their testing. Those involved with state commissions, like Kizer, argue that commissions are doing a lot with the funding and resources they’ve been given, even if they don’t always get credit for it.
"There are going to be athletes in every sport that think they can beat the test," said Kizer. "Look at the Olympics. That’s the weird thing I find with some of the public, and not just in MMA, but people will say that because some guy got caught it shows that athletes aren’t concerned about the tests, that the tests must not work because the guy got away with it. Well, wait a second. He got caught. It doesn’t mean the test is foolproof, but it shows the test is actually pretty damn good. Every Olympics they catch somebody."
When the UFC travels outside of athletic commission jurisdiction, it acts as its own commission, conducting its own testing, much as it will for new signees. That’s a laudable effort, according to Catlin, but it’s not nearly enough.
"When I read that Dana [White] is running a new testing program, on one hand I kind of snicker, but then I say, okay, they’re trying. They’re putting words out there that make sense to me. Whether those words are backed by policies or not, I wouldn’t know. But you’ve got to start somewhere. The fact is, though, you can hire a testing agency that will find exactly what you want: nothing."
Anti-doping experts like Catlin and Goodman insist that the only reasonable solution is to empower some third-party, independent agency to conduct the testing, and for promoters like Zuffa to fund it, at least in part, but without having any influence over its findings. Any sports organization that does its own testing, according to Catlin, can never be fully trusted to report accurate, unbiased results, no matter how well-intentioned it might be.
"They need to clean it up. They know that, and they generally want to. At the same time, it’s the fox guarding the henhouse. They need a program. They want one, otherwise society would be all over them. They have a program, but is it the one they need to really clean it up? No."
Fans of the sport who also carry the burden of a certain amount of medical knowledge, such as Dr. Benjamin, still look to Zuffa and the UFC to do what’s necessary to help the sport get clean -- or at least cleaner.
"As many times as Dana White has said that the UFC is now a first-tier professional sporting organization, commensurate with NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, the NBA -- one thing you notice about all those organizations is that they do their own testing," said Benjamin. "They don’t leave it to anyone else and say, hey, we’re not responsible. [Zuffa] wouldn’t really have to do much themselves except pay the bill. As they move more mainstream with these FOX contracts and things like that, at some point they’re going to have realize that that’s part of doing business on the level that they’re on, and then go ahead and write the check."
Writing checks is one thing the UFC seems willing to do. It’s giving up control of the process that might be more difficult. But just as White and Fertitta brag about running "toward regulation" after purchasing the UFC, Goodman said, they should also embrace improved drug testing as part of their quest for mainstream acceptance.
"They’ve done such a great job at promoting the sport, advancing the sport -- and I love the sport -- but I think this is something they could do that would really set them apart, safety-wise. It wouldn’t be that difficult to do, and it should be done. It has to be done."
53 comments
Comments
good article
“if there’s anything less than absolute, 100 percent compliance then we’re just going to say no as a matter of course. I don’t know if that’s fair either, though.”
I guess he’s referring to Overeem here? I don’t remember exactly but wasn’t he given notice of a test and then a few days later he left overseas? If they went with the 1 hr timeline then this wouldn’t be an issue. There’s not many circumstances where if they randomly showed up to your doorstep and requested a test that the athlete wouldn’t be able to comply. Unless you pull a Serena Williams and hide in your panic room.
Maybe the athletic commissions could require that UFC put money into a testing fund.
"Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be." - Kahlil Gibran
by merryprankster on Feb 17, 2012 11:58 AM EST reply actions
The UFC already pays commissions a hefty fee every time they put on an event
Part of that money goes towards testing.
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by Rob Young on Feb 18, 2012 1:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
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by bobby123 on Feb 19, 2012 4:05 AM EST up reply actions
In all reality I think that if the UFC didnt give their entire roster a 6 mo warning about switching to a full time out of competition testing system we would see half of the roster get suspended.
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by NickaG on Feb 17, 2012 11:59 AM EST reply actions
Nick Diaz
Shouldn’t have applied for a TUE because he didn’t want to fight under the active use of THC. He wasn’t high during the fight. Fighters like Henderson compete with TRT active in their bodies.
by whytetittie on Feb 17, 2012 12:19 PM EST reply actions
wow...that was really really informative. thx.
by XingYi on Feb 17, 2012 12:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions
TRT
blows my mind. That is what people who took steroids in the past use to maintain their gains, especially when its a guy in his 30s. What happens is your body starts cranking estrogen to counter all the testosterone that is being injected and keeps doing so after you’ve stopped. Ask the biggest guy at your gym, he will tell you.
May Doug Marrone bless you and keep you.
by ryanwk628 on Feb 17, 2012 12:35 PM EST reply actions
This is wrong
The biggest guy at the gym will not tell you this. He will tell you that bodybuilders on steroids take post cycle therapy to keep estrogen in check (especially the biggest guy with most experience). You telling me that everyone who took steroids is now on TRT? Olympic and athletic commision DR’s are not qualified to test people for “normal” hormone levels. They only look at total testosterone which is not a good indicator of a properly functioning endocrine system. A man may have a high T level but a low free T level, which is what counts. Vice versa, they may have a low total T but high free T level. Top DR’s in this field are still trying to figure out the intricacies of male hormone function, and there are very few who are at the top of the field. An athletic commision DR is not qualified to tell a man if he requires TRT or not. Also, any man whether on TRT or not can take a short ester testosterone that lasts only hours in the system and get away with it. Professional MMA fighters are not Olympic athletes- you can’t expect them to drop what they are doing, wherever they are, and rush to a testing facility. Anyway, its entertainment, not an multinational sporting event.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 1:47 PM EST up reply actions
This comment is all kinds of lame.
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by Luke Nelson on Feb 17, 2012 5:09 PM EST up reply actions
Its entertainment
I don’t need to know that the fighters are clean- even if they use the most stringent testing I still wouldn’t believe it because even the Olympics have been proven to fail to catch all users. How can you reliably force some Brazilian guy to run to a certified testing facility? What if he can’t be reached? The what? You automatically suspend him? What if he’s not a steroid user but he can’t make it for a day or two or a week? Is he suspended? Like I said in another post, there are steroids that are in and out of your system in hours. Making more stringent testing is just for show- maybe the stupid fighters will get caught, but the smart one’s will adapt like all the other sports athletes and olympic athletes.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 11:56 PM EST up reply actions
And doesn't make sense
Poopy are you telling me that UFC events are only entertainment and not a multinational sporting event? May not be the Olympics but it damn sure isn’t the WWE like your making it out to be.
Too much Chael in your life maybe?
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
by AfroSamurai on Feb 18, 2012 5:45 AM EST up reply actions
1. Why not?
2. They don´t have to “drop what they are doing, wherever they are, and rush to a testing facility”, anyway.
Athletes are reguired to select 1 hour per day/7 days a week to be available for no-notice drugs tests. So WADA guys just show up at the gym or wherever you told them you are.
by renerocker on Feb 18, 2012 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
This is the most naive thing I have ever read
No, not everyone on TRT has taken steroids. Many of them are men in their 50s and 60s who have seen their levels naturally drop off. Does a guy in his 30s need it? He shouldnt. Its very rare. Perhaps if he had testicular cancer and lost one of his testis. Are there competitive advantages to a professional athlete taking it? Yes. Many (not all) people who use steroids see their body quit producing these hormones naturally because the body recognizes it is over producing and shuts off. Thats why people do it in cycles, so their bodies dont become dependent. Most literature on steroid use says that one or two cycles shouldnt be a problem and the body will recover. However, some people never rebound to normal production after one cycle. These people have to do TRT or risk losing their gains along with their sex drive and will likely develop whats know in the body building world as “”http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?21689-Bitch-tit-s" >bitch tits" aka Gynecomastia
May Doug Marrone bless you and keep you.
by ryanwk628 on Feb 17, 2012 5:17 PM EST up reply actions
Not really
Bitch tits are caused by high estradiol (a type of estrogen), not low T. Its true that coming off a cycle, some inexperienced people will allow their T levels to drop, leaving their estradiol high which can cause bitch tits. Thats easily combated by using any number of anti estrogens. Going on TRT is not required to keep bitch tits at bay. Once you get your estradiol down, you don’t need to worry about getting bitch tits. Bitch tits also happen on cycle from high estradiol. A professional athlete will have experienced people preparing these cycles for them. Its not rare for a guy in his 30’s to get on TRT. Its becoming much more prevalent as the average T level in men continues to drop (phyto and xeno estrogens in food supply, stress, less sleep). Athletic commisions have tested after fights for years, If a fighter has only two fights a year, that leaves him with short windows to do steroid cycles. You have to figure they would need to run the cycle, and then a post cycle therapy ( to bounce back T levels and lower estrogen), and then allow several weeks for the metabolites to clear the system. You theorize that these fightershave steroid induced TRT. I don’t think so. This fighting timeline only allows for a couple short cycles a year. I think they applied for the exemption to allow them to run TRT permanently and get away with it. What I’m saying is there are many ways to get away with steroids whether you test at a moments notice or after a fight. If I were fighting in UFC and wanted to use steroids I would use test suspension which is in and out very quickly. You could shoot in the morning and its gone by the evening. Some athletic commision guy calls me to take a test and all of the sudden my mom’s sick and I can’t take it until tomorrow. It’s gonna happen no matter what, and it does happen no matter what. How many Olympic athletes passed tests but it was revealed later that they did growth or something (marion jones), becasue they found some steroid or growth hormones they can’t test for.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 11:43 PM EST up reply actions
fact
testosterone levels are subjective and that is why the tests for trt are a joke. the biggest guy could tell you that, but he might not tell someone like you. anyone who takes a ped and competes when the playing field as a whole is not, is cheating. hendo is cheating and he knows it, but they all are, so it should be legal. ped’s are not bad, but anyone who tries and say it’s not cheating is the epitome of why cheaters suck. don’t rationalize cheating or you sound stupid. and yes, I know more about ped’s than you.
by One Bad on Feb 17, 2012 5:28 PM EST up reply actions
Cortisone amazes me too
The steroids and HGH in question were developed to heal and help recover (in the way a DR would administer them). Cortisone is widely accepted and is used to mask an injury. So rather than have an athlete use HGH like Andy Pettitte did to recover, get back on the field, help his team and be there for the fans to see, its banned. But its perfectly acceptable to give a guy with a partially torn MCL or worse, a spine injury a cortisone shot so he doesn’t feel the further damage he is doing when he goes out and plays. A partially torn MCL could become a fully torn one. Pain is your bodys way of telling you to stop, but masking that is acceptable.
May Doug Marrone bless you and keep you.
by ryanwk628 on Feb 17, 2012 12:40 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
The UFC is Phony about wanting No Steroids....
….They just want them all to have the “TUE” bullcrap.
I say this time and again: 100% of known TRT recipients are white Americans. Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, and several others who I can’t remember just now.
The white Americans are where the money is, and the UFC damn well knows it. Look at Chael Sonnen: He was a middling journeyman, then he started taking ‘roids in 2008, and now he’s a moneymaking juggernaut for the UFC. The stadium fight with Silva in Brazil is going to net the UFC it’s biggest revenue ever. Hendo is another guy who everybody knows benefits from the juice, but he’s got a huge following of old white men who dole out the cash.
Allowing steroids (through TRT or whatever) to one fighter but denying it to others is akin to fight fixing. If the UFC cared about the competitive integrity, they’d ( a ) do their own testing as MLB does (and MLB does a GREAT job) and ( b ) have a blanket rule against TRT and all synthetic testosterone.
Here’s the drug tester for the Olympics:
“We don’t give them [a TUE]. I think in all the years I’ve done it, we’ve given two. One was a kid who didn’t have any testicles because he had a terrible accident ten years ago or something. It just doesn’t happen.”
Here’s the UFC:
Basically every single white American gets one. (Does that mean the UFC’s roster is full of guys who lost their nads in terrible accidents?)
It’s such a scam. And it gets even worse when you think of juicers like Hendo and Sonnen very possibly wearing championship belts.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 17, 2012 1:47 PM EST reply actions
You're racist
You’re racist. If other ethnicities wanted to apply for a TUE then they could. It’s weird of you to think that the UFC is getting only white fighters to apply for TUE’s. Also, your reasoning is wrong. Jon Jones is one of the biggest draws and he’s not white. Anderson Silva is Brazilian, Jose Aldo is brazilian, Dominic Cruz is hispanic, Junior Dos Santos is Brazilian. All of those fighters are big draws for the UFC. The JDS and Cain Velasquez fight was the first on FOX for a reason.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
Reality is not racist. Sorry.
Declaring a total stranger “racist”. Classy. And you said this because I….stated a fact? Sorry, but reality isn’t racist. (Although if you wanna call people names….I’ll go ahead and call you an impotent whitey who undoubtedly needs Viagara to have sex with women. But I don’t wanna say that.)
It is simply a fact that all of the known TRT users are white Americans.
If you think that all these whities – Sonnen, Hendo, etc. – really do have “low T”, then what you’re REALLY arguing is that white American men are more effeminate than brown men, and so they have to pay for their manliness and stick it in their butts every week. I don’t believe this to be the case, and think they’re simply cheating. Like anybody over the age of 7 knows is the case.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 17, 2012 2:03 PM EST up reply actions
Wasn't trying to be classy
Your words make you racist, not me pointing it out. And your reply made you sound even more racist, so good job there. What’s your point about 100% of the UFC fighters being on TRT? People of pretty much every color and ethnicity have been caught with steroids in the UFC. King Mo and Cyborg for example. King Mo and the others who were caught with steroids could have gone around the system and applied for TUE, but they didn’t. Are they any better? No. Also, calling 100% of them white means nothing. The UFC isn’t a large enough sampling pool. And how do you know if any non white people have even applied for TUE’s? I know black and hispanic people on TRT, but I guess they don’t count since they aren’t in the UFC.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 2:58 PM EST up reply actions
King Mo and Cyborg might be bad examples...
You can’t just apply for a TUE, you also have to prove that a doctor has prescribed it to you. King Mo and Cyborg were not taking testosterone under medical supervision and if they applied for a TUE, they would have been denied.
by steven1crocker on Feb 17, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
Not really
The way you get a TUE if you don’t legitamately need it is to go on testosterone, or any other steroid that lowers your bodies natural level of testosteronel. When you come off of it, your levels will remain low for some time, so when you are tested it appears that you need TRT. Obviously that won’t work as a woman, but the point I’m trying to make is that its not only white guys trying to use steroids without getting caught.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
After rereading your post...
I guess I see what you mean. I initially thought that you meant that King Mo or Cyborg could have just applied for a TUE before their events and gotten away with it.
by steven1crocker on Feb 17, 2012 5:39 PM EST up reply actions
so you agree TRT is steriods?
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
by AfroSamurai on Feb 18, 2012 5:52 AM EST up reply actions
Jon Jones is not one of the biggest draws
Although i don’t think Comics logic is right on race altogether… All the people you named do have a minority background although be serious about Dominic Cruz if you seen him walking down the street he looks like a white man
and all those fighters you named just because they are in the UFC doesn’t mean they are big draws.
I agree with Comic that in UFC’s infancy a large white involvement and success see forrest griffen helped the sport grow immensely. I disagree with white people are not athletic enough…I believe in MMA wrestling, muay thai and bjj gives all races a chance to win
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
by AfroSamurai on Feb 18, 2012 5:51 AM EST up reply actions
By far the best article, Thanks Folwkes!
Very informative, insightful and solid writing. PED’s and banned substances are the last piece to the UFC puzzle IMO. It’s probably the one thing holding it back from becoming a ‘real sport’. Although I am not in favor of Ped’s, we gotta admit that most “great fights” have come thanks to that. People also forget size advantage is a huge difference in fights and their outcomes, I really wish the UFC could reform the testing thru the State Athletic Commissions
by iboneu89 on Feb 17, 2012 2:13 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Wasn't trying to be classy
Your words make you racist, not me pointing it out. And your reply made you sound even more racist, so good job there. What’s your point about 100% of the UFC fighters being on TRT? People of pretty much every color and ethnicity have been caught with steroids in the UFC. King Mo and Cyborg for example. King Mo and the others who were caught with steroids could have gone around the system and applied for TUE, but they didn’t. Are they any better? No. Also, calling 100% of them white means nothing. The UFC isn’t a large enough sampling pool. And how do you know if any non white people have even applied for TUE’s? I know black and hispanic people on TRT, but I guess they don’t count since they aren’t in the UFC.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 2:48 PM EST reply actions
Just because you're impotent
….Doesn’t mean you have to take it out on me for pointing to objective facts.
So here it is once again: 100% of the TRT users that the UFC allows to use steroids are white Americans. 100%.
I’m sorry that you think that reality is racist, and that you think that white men are naturally more effeminate than non-whites. I do not believe this.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 17, 2012 2:59 PM EST up reply actions
Here it is once again...
Your argument is lacking. Proof is in your name calling. Another point that you’re missing is that NATE MARQUARDT WAS KICKED OUT OF THE UFC. Is that the UFC’s elaborate plan to prop up whitey?
100% of “ComicsPlus” stink at making a good argument, and 100% of “ComicsPlus” are racist.
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Feb 17, 2012 3:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Another dumb post
You need to read up on the things you think you know about. You have posted two very stupid replies today.
If u you are not making this a racist topic then there is no need to list the handful of fighters you mentioned. The numbers are actually much higher than your google search rendered.
What happens when fighters are caught? They are banned for months. They are not allowed to continue to fight. Even guys with TRT are banned if their levels exceed the normal amount.
Please read up on things before you post. You sound like a racist waste of life and you are obviously not intelligent enough to carry a worth while conversation.
by TheMFNRinger on Feb 18, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
This just in!
This just in- 100% of TRT users are White or Black Americans.
http://www.themmanews.com/rampage-jackson-received-testosterone-therapy-before-ufc-144-bout/
by poopyonastickmakesmesick on Mar 7, 2012 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
LOL
Why do keep responding to this troll. He’s just going to keep luring you down his demented rabbit hole. You just got suckered, my friend.
by DX OX on Feb 17, 2012 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
Even though I like the fighters who happen to be taking those so called TUE drugs, it should not be happening! If something happens to you and you feel weaker because you lose too much weight for a fight, Tough Luck! I think it should be outlawed in MMA period! Wayne Arthur
by ussclaudejones on Feb 17, 2012 3:04 PM EST reply actions
Toally agree
This stuff is a legal form of cheating as stupid as that sounds.
Research TRT. Its given to older men 35 plus to keep test levels elevated, but elevated enough to produce normal levels of test for those 35 and up. Guys like Nate or Chael have no reason to be on TRT unless they lost a testicle.
by TheMFNRinger on Feb 18, 2012 11:11 AM EST up reply actions
VADA?
So what´s VADA? Shouldn´t it be W(orld) A(nti)-D(oping) A(gency)?
by renerocker on Feb 17, 2012 3:09 PM EST reply actions
Nothing about what to do if a guy starts a treatment without approval?
Chael has been on TRT for years without a proper exemption. How will Nevada handle his license knowing he started it on his own without approval and on a false diagnosis?
I’m curious if the UFC will just avoid Nevada for the rest of Chael’s career. Or if he’ll ever reapply for a license.
Mr. Fowlkes do you know if it’s true that if a fighter is denied a license in Nevada or California that the other state commissions will honor the denial and not grant a license in their state?
by shonuf1 on Feb 17, 2012 4:37 PM EST reply actions
It wasn't a coincidence that....
….Steroid Sonnen’s first fight back was in Texas, the state with the most secretive and, by reputation, toothless testing system of anybody.
It’s also not a coincidence that the UFC is going to be doing the testing themselves for 147. Steroid Sonnen’s gonna be having more long, hard tubes shoved into his butt than Ken Mehlman at a disco private lounge.
by ComicsPlus on Feb 17, 2012 6:22 PM EST up reply actions
Sonnen TRT
He was actually approved for TRT through Nevada, but you have to keep applying and you need to be approved each time. He never reapplied after his last TRT was approved which is what that whole mess was over.
He will be fine.
by TheMFNRinger on Feb 18, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions
Can you post a source?
Can you please post something saying he was ever granted a tue in Nevada. I don’t believe that’s the case.
by shonuf1 on Feb 18, 2012 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
Completely agree with Goodmann
They have to introduce random testing. That’s the only thing that will really work.,
by altairograph on Feb 17, 2012 4:40 PM EST reply actions
Wow great article Ben
I just got learned lol
by Rob2507 on Feb 17, 2012 5:24 PM EST reply actions
Vegas was founded on greed and debauchery,
so no wonder the NSAC is so sleazy.All this reminds me of a great documentary,“Bigger,Faster,Stronger.”
by dh3240 on Feb 17, 2012 7:49 PM EST reply actions
Great article Ben.
Really enjoyed reading the opinions of Doctors Catlin and Goodman.
Hope to read more on this sort of thing.
New author at Head Kick Legend
Reach me here: LukeNelsonMMA@gmail.com
by Luke Nelson on Feb 17, 2012 8:06 PM EST reply actions
Experts eh?
Stanozolol does not even pass through the Liver.
Anyone can get approved for HRT. The FDA does not even regulate it. There is no predetermined guideline or law stating what a low testosterone level is. It is left up to the Doctor’s discretion. And Doctors want paid. Most of the test the Dr gives their patients are the kind you take home. There are a dozen things one can do to get their levels down. They can even opt to have a woman piss for them. I know 7 people right now that go to a specific Doctor for HRT. Its not even a big deal. They go get it as part of their PCT (post cycle therapy) after they are coming off a cycle of anabolics.
These government officials have no clue. Not one!
by HaVoK308 on Feb 17, 2012 9:01 PM EST reply actions
Stanozolol is metabolized by the liver. I’m not sure where you got the idea it isn’t.
by Manfred on Feb 18, 2012 6:00 AM EST up reply actions
GReat Artice Ben. I wish more MMA Journalist would ask TRT questions to Chael and other fighters who use (abuse) the substance
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
by AfroSamurai on Feb 18, 2012 5:54 AM EST reply actions
Everybody who supports prohibition needs to understand that there is a human cost associated with this dangerous and failed policy. – Every time they assert their support for it they are condemning thousands more to death.
If all else fails use fire arrows
by malcolmkyle on Feb 18, 2012 11:25 AM EST reply actions
I train with..
some older cat’s ( late 40s) who use TRT. Their bench has gone up, and they can workout longer. If it does that for them, can you imagine what it does for a 30 yr old? One thing they all agree on: it makes their dick harder than Chinese algebra.
by bezzarguy on Feb 18, 2012 11:34 AM EST reply actions
The UFC became the UFC with PED's and now TRT
For those of us that have followed the UFC and MMA going way back when we all know and understand that PED, anabolic s and TRT have been there since the very beginning! Watch UFC 1 and all the early events. The fighters are enormous!
Next, research all of the former AND current UFC champs and there seems to be a very distinct change in size from time to time with the exception of Anderson SIlva and Royce Gracie. I can’t off the top of my head, go back as far as the early to mid 90’s and current and not believe that this sport and it’s champs have been tainted from the begining. This is not just the UFC. Pride and Japan had NO testing! Coleman and Randleman were late 30’s and in Coleman’s case 43 when he last competed in Pride, were HUGE.
Its combat sports and fighters / trainers are going to find ways to get the advantage. Whats stopping them? Guys like Barnett was caught several times, suspended or released and what did he do? He went to Japan and continued the PEDs and still made a career out there and more than likely he will be back in the UFC in a few months when all the Strikeforce champs come over.
The stuff is here to staff!
by TheMFNRinger on Feb 18, 2012 11:34 AM EST reply actions
stay*
by TheMFNRinger on Feb 18, 2012 11:47 AM EST up reply actions
I can always count on Fowlkes, et. al., for the best MMA journalism
It’s already been said, but the article is first-class journalism! THANKS, Ben, and staff!
The UFC has the opportunity to take the lead in anti-doping efforts. Will they seize the moment?
It’s a gamble, but if they take the lead, and they’re successful, it will go a long way toward improving the public’s perception of MMA.
by WorldlyPatriot on Feb 18, 2012 6:53 PM EST reply actions
100%
random, year-round, out of competition testing. Not just pissing in a cup, either. full blood and urinalysis. And don’t bother with any meaningless suspensions, either. Just ban the violators.
by Hulka's Big Toe on Feb 18, 2012 7:41 PM EST reply actions
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