“Is everyone taking steroids starting January?” – Fighters rejoice as UFC and USADA announce splitting up after decade-long relationship

From January 1, 2024, USADA won't oversee UFC's Anti-Doping Program. UFC's future plans are unclear.

“Is everyone taking steroids starting January?” – Fighters rejoice as UFC and USADA announce splitting up after decade-long relationship

Dana White and the UFC severs ties with USADA post Conor McGregor inclusion in the USADA testing pool. (Source: IMAGO)

The UFC and the USADA will be ending their partnership at the close of 2023. USADA CEO, Travis T. Tygart broke the news about the split in an official statement. The collaboration which began in 2015, spanned almost a decade. It was instrumental in maintaining the integrity of MMA.

The decision means that from January 1, 2024, USADA will no longer administer the UFC’s Anti-Doping Program. UFC has yet to announce if another organization will step in to fill the void left by USADA or if they intend to administer an internal anti-doping program. Many fighters have taken to social media to express their opinions on the matter. Brian Kelleher, a prominent fighter in the UFC roster, humorously tweeted, “Wait so is everyone taking steroids starting in January?” His tweet underscored the potential implications of the absence of USADA.

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USADA’s involvement with the UFC has led to several high-profile suspensions. To name a few, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, TJ Dillashaw, and Nick Diaz have faced suspensions from USADA. The entry of USADA saw a lot of athletes having a dip in their performance. Alistair Overeem and Johny Hendricks were allegedly heavy users of PEDs. The strict and thorough testing regimen of USADA has been both lauded and criticized.

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The reason for the split is presumably with the treatment of Conor McGregor. McGregor has allegedly used steroids for his leg recovery. The promotion wanted a swift return for the Irishman. However, USADA did not allow leniency citing equality for all. The report of the split came just days after McGregor announced his return to the testing pool.

Related: “No exception given by UFC for McGregor!” – Shortly after Conor McGregor’s re-entry to testing pool, USADA and UFC cut ties with CEO putting out scathing statement

Fighters react to the announcement of USADA-UFC split

The MMA community is buzzing following the unexpected news of the end of the partnership between the UFC and the USADA. Notably, several UFC fighters quickly took to social media to share their humorous and candid takes on the situation.

Jeff Novitzky of USADA
Jeff Novitzky of USADA (Image via: MMA Fighting)

Brian Kelleher jestingly inquired about the news while Gilbert Burns humorously alluded to potential shifts in fighters’ sizes using Conor McGregor as a reference. Sean Strickland‘s playful approach saw him toy with the idea of fighters embracing performance-enhancing drugs. Meanwhile, Kevin Holland’s light-hearted lament was about missing out on a USADA jacket. Furthermore, MMA icon Demetrious Johnson amusingly predicted a future with “super athletes” in the sport. See the fighter reactions below.

https://twitter.com/123midnite/status/1712329877456851118

These reactions underline the significance of the UFC-USADA split and raise questions about the future of anti-doping measures in the sport of MMA. Without a proper anti-doping program, the credibility of the athletes and the promotion would be at stake. Moreover, doping could be very harmful for athletes in the long run even if it provides short-term benefits.

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