UFC: PED Policy Needs To Change To Make MMA More Relevant

Last week saw the biggest event to date for the UFC. PED has gone a long way to diminishing what was supposed to be the greatest card in UFC history. At this point, one has to ask if the UFC can stay relevant unless they adopt a stricter policy when it comes to penalizing for performance enhancing drugs or PED’s.

On Friday, another UFC star is maybe looking at a suspension. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency reached out to MMA’s largest organization to inform them that UFC 200 co-main event winner Brock Lesnar could be in violation of anti-doping policies that stemmed from an out-of-competition drug test taken 12 days prior to the fight on Saturday, July 8, this according to the USA Today.

“USADA received the testing results from the June 28, 2016 sample collection from the WADA-accredited UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory on the evening of July 14, 2016.”

This is a particularly troubling situation considering the cloud of controversy that surrounded UFC 200. As the Guardian was quick to point out, this makes half of the competitors who were supposed to be involved in the co-main events being looked at for PED violations. Days prior to UFC 200, former UFC Champion Jon “Bones” Jones was forced out of his match with Daniel Cormier for doping.

UFC PED use is nothing new. The always vocal, Nate Diaz, stated just last week that “everybody” in the UFC were on steroids. UFC has tried to take measures to clean up the sport. Just last year, they handed over drug testing to Jeff Novitzky. Novitzky is the federal agent that was in charge of the Balco investigation. He was also responsible for uncovering PED use with Lance Armstrong as well as Marion Jones.

The news that Lesnar is now under further scrutiny for PED use taints what otherwise would be a historic week for the UFC. On Monday, news broke that majority owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta had sold UFC for $4 billion. Considering the Fertitta’s along with UFC president Dana White paid just $2 million for the organization in 2001, the move was hardly questioned. One has to wonder if the PED usage played a part in their decision.

Someone that is particularly unhappy about this turn of events is Brock Lesnar’s opponent at UFC 200, Mark Hunt. Hunt spoke with Fox Sports about his suspicions of Lesnar and the use of PED prior to UFC 200.

“I don’t think that’s fair. I think it’s load of bulls***! I don’t think anyone should be exempt from testing. If they’re trying to clean the sport up — mixed martial arts — this is a bad way to do it. I don’t care who you are. It’s ridiculous. I don’t think it’s a great move. I think he’s juiced to the gills.”

Brock Lesnar was given an exemption to fight in UFC 200 on short notice. Most fighters must undergo testing four months prior to an event. According to the UFC, exemptions are granted “in exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an athlete.” Lesnar’s length of time away from the sport, as well as the time table for UFC 200, fit into the exception according to a statement made by the company.

So, where does the UFC move from here? WME/IMG just paid a staggering amount for the UFC. Dana White will remain the president. He made a statement to ESPN that this sale would take them to “the next level.” If the UFC is going to make the transition to mainstream sports, is the current drug policy enough? If half of the main eventers are testing positive for performance enhancing drugs, the short answer to that question is no.

What do you think of UFC PED use? Is this an isolated incident? Did the Fertitta brothers get out at the best possible time? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via Rey Del Rio/Getty Images]