Testing Times for the UFC

The UFC’s evolution into the global leader in MMA promotion has bought with it a new set of challenges. The increase of non-US based athletes on the roster is to be welcomed but it also creates significant difficulties in monitoring these competitors on a regular basis.

Whilst the UFC regularly carries out additional drug tests on its fighters (and in greater detail than some of the regulatory bodies it works with), the recent spate of post-fight drug-test fails appears to have brought the issue to a head.

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta recently committed all UFC fighters to random drug-testing on a year round basis from 2015. The move is to be applauded and shows the UFC’s desire to truly be the premier MMA organisation operating today.

Difficulties in Detection

The revelations in cycling over recent years and the admission by Lance Armstrong to using Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs), even during races, highlights the relative ease to which dopers can evade detection with officials nearby.

The lengths dopers go to avoid detection, is aided by failings on the part of some administrative commissions. For example, certain State Athletic Commissions will often only test urine samples pre and post-fight. The limitations of urine only testing will be highlighted below.

The public proclamations that “fighters have passed all drug tests” often hides the inadequacies of the testing procedures rather than highlighting the good names of the combatants. Standard urine testing is a token gesture and should not be viewed as an all-encompassing anti-doping process.

World Anti-doping Agency (WADA)

WADA was established in 1999, funded by sports movements and international governments, to act as an independent watchdog over all sports. Scientific research, education and the general development of anti-doping capacities are the primary aims of the organisation. A World Anti-Doping Code was established which harmonised the anti-doping policies of all sports and in all countries.

The list of substances used to illegally improve an athlete’s performance can’t be covered in one article but I’ve highlighted some of the major doping offences and the difficulty in detecting them below.

Human Growth Hormone (hGH)

Human Growth Hormone is naturally produced by the body. The major role of hGH is to stimulate the liver, ultimately resulting in bone growth and it plays a key role in muscle protein synthesis and organ growth. It increases muscle mass and strength, as well as aiding in recovery of tissue on the musculoskeletal system.

A complex blood test is required to detect artificial increases in hGH but samples are stable to be frozen for retrospective testing.

Erythropoietin (EPO)

EPO is a hormone naturally produced by the body which stimulates red blood cell production. An increase in these cells improves the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry to the body’s muscles.

Both blood and urine tests are required to confirm the use of additional levels of EPO in the human system.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)

Testosterone naturally occurs in the body and it is synthesised from the food we eat. In short, it contributes significantly to our overall strength, muscle mass and energy levels. Artificially increasing these levels is a blatant attempt at gaining an advantage over a competitor.

A standard urine test will examine for an increase of testosterone but it is unable to detect if any artificial supplements have been ingested. A more costly and complex Carbon Isotope Test is required to scrutinise the source of the testosterone reading.

Biological Passport

There is no anti-doping system in operation at present that is 100% “doper-proof.” Questionable sports scientists can find ways around the current regulations and certain supplements may not be on the banned substance list yet.

Creating a WADA style Biological Passport within the UFC should be the way forward. This would be a costly exercise but may well be the best attempt to monitor the UFC’s entire roster. The biological passport allows an organisation to test and analyse an athlete’s DNA over a period of time, rather than randomly at the time of a specific test.

It would also develop a robust anti-doping program and create a comprehensive database, which would include the freezing of samples for retrospective testing. This is the route the UFC should consider. This is the fight business and they have an obligation to protect their fighters from themselves and each other.

With roughly 500 fighters spread across the globe, a base parameter for each fighter should be established to fully account for all their biological readings. Thus, the biological passport will enable the detection of micro-dosing over time and will act as a huge deterrent going forward. It will also reduce hit-and-miss random testing and ensure the responsibility to comply with anti-doping regulations rests firmly with the athletes themselves.

@SimonGMaguire