It is beginning to get to the point where performance enhancing drugs and professional sports are parading around hand in hand. While many sports fans try to ignore the topic, some of us can’t help but feel upset when another star that we’ve seen rise to glory is brought crashing down when his or her name is linked to steroid use. Now Zuffa is taking steps to ensure that their athletes will not be found in legacy-destroying headlines. Yet I still must ask if these steps are truly enough.
Under this new policy, fighters must subject themselves to a pre-contract screening for various types of PEDs, and must pass the test before they are allowed to compete for the organization. From that point forward, they will undergo regular pre-event screenings.
This announcement comes on the heels of two big name stars in Muhammed Lawal and Christiane Santos failing drug tests after their most recent contests. Their names are added to an ever-growing list of fighters who have been accused of using different forms of drugs, for reasons that include weight cutting and injury recovery. With the popularity of MMA growing at a substantial rate, and more fighters throwing their lot into the cage or ring each year, the desire to get into the UFC’s Octagon will only grow. This desire may cause some up-and-comers to resort to using the assistance that PEDs are believed to produce.
Even still, I question whether this move by Zuffa will be enough to deter the use of steroids and similar products. As technology and knowledge continue to improve, fighters and those who wish to assist them will continue to think of new ways to “beat” the various tests that they will face during their careers. Look back to the measures that Thiago Silva took to try to avoid the positive test before his bout with Brandon Vera. He made a failed attempt to alter his urine in order to pass the test. Even though it was unsuccessful, this was a testament to the lengths that fighters will go to in order to compete and stay at the highest levels of their sport.
What I would like to see is the UFC punish violators in more extreme fashion. We’ve seen Anthony Johnson cut for not making weight, Miguel Torres fired for a ridiculous tweet (although he was soon rehired after making amends through charity), and Gerald Harris fired for putting on a poor performance in the cage. If these fighters are removed from the organization for their actions, drug abusers should face the same fate. Nate Marquardt was cut because of a situation that related to the idea of PED use and testosterone levels last year, but I believe he was cut more so because he ruined a much talked about main event for a live television show, rather than the possibility that he was using PEDs.
Unlike other sports, where athletes use PEDs to run faster, hit a ball farther, or play longer, in MMA PEDs give you the ability to hurt another human being more so than you are already capable. With that in mind, the punishment should be much worse, even for lesser offenders. I would love to see the UFC immediately cut fighters that are linked to drug usage. Now I know many people will point to an individual’s right to due process, but who else has been given that opportunity by the Zuffa execs? Not too many. So in this case, offenders should not either. I’m not calling for them to be banned for life, but they should have to earn the opportunity to come back, and should have to subject themselves to multiple tests.
If the UFC really wants to “show that we don’t want performance enhancing drugs in our sport,” as UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta stated, then they should become harsher on those that fail to meet those exact standards.
