UFC Outline New Drug Testing Regime

After a spate of test failures for performance enhancing drugs in MMA over the last few weeks, a wave of uncertainty and worry washed over the community at large. Something had to be done. Today, it was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s biggest MMA promotion, that took a stance at a press conference held in Las Vegas. (Quotes transcribed by MMAFighting.com)

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said at the press conference after announcing that every fighter on the roster will now be tested in and out of competition with the possibility of a 2-4 year ban the resulting punishment.

“You will be tested in competition, you will be tested out of competition, and if you are using, you will be caught…… However the cards fall, they’re going to fall…. But we’re going to make sure the fighters get tested.”

“We are committed to it in every way that you possibly could be. There should be no mistake there. This is a call-out to all of the athletes on our roster.” Fertitta went on to say.

UFC president Dana White was also in attendance and was defiant on how committed he and the company are to rid the sport of PEDS: “If I can make a couple million dollars, I’ll take the risk.” White said on the current situation. “Two or four years [suspension] could be career-threatening. Now you look at the risk vs. reward, and it’s a lot more dangerous.”

“Given the recent spate of high-profile cases, we felt like we needed to do this sooner rather than later,” Fertitta then said. “For the good of the sport, for the integrity of the sport, for what we’re trying to do here, we needed to address this issue ASAP.”

The UFC plan to implement the new testing regime on July 1st of this year and have yet to announce the 3rd party who will oversee the testing.