David A Avila of MSNBC has a report on drug testing in mixed martial arts that provides some good news and some bad for the sport.
First, the good: The two headliners for the main event in the upcoming UFC 84 show, Sean Sherk and B.J. Penn, were both administered unannounced drug tests last month, and both passed. Sherk was suspended and stripped of his lightweight title after he tested positive for steroids last year, and it would have been a huge black eye for UFC if he had failed another drug test.
But here's the bad news: California State Athletic Commission executive officer Armando Garcia says the drug problems in mixed martial arts are real, and more significant than in boxing:
"We have 120 shows in boxing and 60 in MMA and the numbers coming out are super high," said Garcia. "It's a no-brainer. There's more drug usage in MMA than boxing."As MMA gets more mainstream, drug use within the sport will get more scrutiny. The sport needs to be prepared for that scrutiny.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Dana White needs to step forward and institute random drug tests to his fighters. No network, either cable or broadcast wants to go the way of stupid Rajah Clemens and Barry Bonds.
The growth of the sport will be slowed by roid use and if White can get out in front with random tests, there will be one less factor holding its growth back. Even the PGA has started drug testing. Do it for the $ Dana. That is what seems to drive him.
Posted at 5:21PM on May 1st 2008 by bigflyer
2. Is it worth noting that the majority of the MMA suspensions in Cali are weed related, not steroids?
Posted at 8:10AM on May 2nd 2008 by Fightlinker