UFC VS USADA: What the Breakup Means for Fighters and Spectators
Dana White with Connor Mcgregor before his Lightweight Bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021(Las Vegas Sun)
By Dustin Schlagel
Las Vegas (Feb. 6, 2024)- On Jan. 1, Drug testing agency USADA officially severed ties with Dana White and prominent combat fighting company UFC. Although the contract didn’t officially end until the start of the new year, this breakup stems off a statement USADA made back in October of 2023 regarding Connor McGregor’s reentry into the drug testing pool. USADA officially announced the severing of the relationship when they suspected the UFC was trying to expedite McGregor’s return to the Octagon following his broken thibula he suffered in his bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021.
Since the contract has been terminated, the UFC has given the reigns to Drug Free Sport International, a company that also oversees drug testing samples for both the NFL and the MLB. Although the UFC seems to have found the most suitable replacement, what will this change mean for future testing for Steroids and other PEDs?
In a sport as prolific and physically demanding as MMA, it’s not uncommon that you’ll see a fighter try and gain leverage in any way possible. Prior to 2015, it was all too common that leverage came in the form of Performance Enhancing Drugs. Notable UFC names like Alistar Overeem. Anderson Silva, and Nick Diaz (Diaz and Silva both tested positive for their fight against one another), have ruined fight cards and hurt the legitimacy of the UFC with positive tests. However, when USADA signed their first contract with the company in 2015, it changed the company’s image for the better and cut down on total positive tests.
In fact, according to a survey done by The Athletic in 2020, close to 90 percent of UFC fighters agreed that the use of PEDs has decreased because of USADA, and 61 percent supported the drug testing program as a whole. For nine years, USADA was a legitimate program that most fighters respected, and the company ran smoother without the fear of a positive test derailing months of hard work to build up the fight.
With USADA gone and likely not to return, it’s still to be determined whether Drug-Free Sports International can fill their shoes in ensuring a competitive atmosphere around the UFC. If not, however, it could mean big trouble for the MMA stronghold.
Over the past few years, the world of combat sports has seen a trend: UFC fighters taking high-profile boxing matches. Fighters like Francis Ngannou, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren have all dipped into the boxing scene, and have been paid well for it. In the case that the UFC sees more positive drug tests, Fighters could keep following this trend, and many big-name fighters could leave to find the high-paying matches that they can’t get fighting in MMA. For a company built off promoting big names to hype up a fight card, losing big names would be critical in the UFC.
Let’s just hope the new sheriff in town can keep it under control.
Since the contract has been terminated, the UFC has given the reigns to Drug Free Sport International, a company that also oversees drug testing samples for both the NFL and the MLB. Although the UFC seems to have found the most suitable replacement, what will this change mean for future testing for Steroids and other PEDs?
In a sport as prolific and physically demanding as MMA, it’s not uncommon that you’ll see a fighter try and gain leverage in any way possible. Prior to 2015, it was all too common that leverage came in the form of Performance Enhancing Drugs. Notable UFC names like Alistar Overeem. Anderson Silva, and Nick Diaz (Diaz and Silva both tested positive for their fight against one another), have ruined fight cards and hurt the legitimacy of the UFC with positive tests. However, when USADA signed their first contract with the company in 2015, it changed the company’s image for the better and cut down on total positive tests.
In fact, according to a survey done by The Athletic in 2020, close to 90 percent of UFC fighters agreed that the use of PEDs has decreased because of USADA, and 61 percent supported the drug testing program as a whole. For nine years, USADA was a legitimate program that most fighters respected, and the company ran smoother without the fear of a positive test derailing months of hard work to build up the fight.
With USADA gone and likely not to return, it’s still to be determined whether Drug-Free Sports International can fill their shoes in ensuring a competitive atmosphere around the UFC. If not, however, it could mean big trouble for the MMA stronghold.
Over the past few years, the world of combat sports has seen a trend: UFC fighters taking high-profile boxing matches. Fighters like Francis Ngannou, Tyron Woodley, and Ben Askren have all dipped into the boxing scene, and have been paid well for it. In the case that the UFC sees more positive drug tests, Fighters could keep following this trend, and many big-name fighters could leave to find the high-paying matches that they can’t get fighting in MMA. For a company built off promoting big names to hype up a fight card, losing big names would be critical in the UFC.
Let’s just hope the new sheriff in town can keep it under control.
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