Sherk and Franca Test Positive for Steroids
Obviously, UFC needs to put a greater focus on going after steroid use in their company, because it's really becoming a problem on a number of levels: 1) PR 2) All these fighters being suspended and disruping matchmaking 3) Fairness concerns 4) Health. It's going to be tough though, because no matter what you say these fighters are going to want every advantage they can get. I think the solution may just have to be stiffer penalties so people really think twice about putting artificial substances in their bodies.
posted by Todd Martin at 12:38 PM
17 Comments:
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Original post from me on MMA drug problems from your annoying posts the other week:
"You keep making this silly comparisons between MMA and wrestling when you don't even understand MMA. Steroids are unquestionably a problem in both. But the problems are of a fundamentally different nature."
True then, true now.
New policy: make obnoxious, disingenuous posts, have them deleted.
As bad as this is, I have to admit that it's kind of funny that both the champion and the challenger in one match were on the juice. Is that a first?
At least we don't have a situation where Franca can claim he was cheated out of his title victory, since he was cheating, too...
I like Sherk, but he's always had the artificial jacked-up look to me, so I must say I don't find this too surprising.
While this isn't good for MMA, I don't think the situation is necessarily out of control. They are testing and catching people, and these people are facing public embarrassment and real financial consequence.
For those who think MMA is as bad as pro wrestling, ruminate on this: If the WWE rolled into a California town and their whole roster was tested by the California commission, what do you think the result would be? If you think they'd have failure rates comparable to MMA, think again.
How about just installing random, year-round, away from events, testing. Take blood, not urine, since it's far harder to cheat and beat blood tests. Make the penalties equivalent to the Olympic/tennis standards where a first offense is a 2 year suspension and a second offense is the career death penalty. (Actually, just replicating those sports' policies would be a great start).
And perhaps most importantly, make it a big deal when a guy fails on UFC broadcasts. Not only is intellectually dishonest to pretend they suspensions did not occur (a la Stephan Bonnar), but making there a stigma associated with a failure will work as a deterrent. There's no mention of the suspensions on the UFC website as I write this. In UFC, getting over with the fans is arguably more important than skill as far as maximizing one's income.
At least 2 people a show are gettin' popped at this point. If you think the only ones getting caught are the only ones using you're an idiot.
That goes for everyone.
Steroids are a bigger issue in fighting than any other sport because you are dealing with violence.
With UFC at it's least violent at this point and it's highest known level of steroid abusers I'm not seeing how this so called sport is doing anything to change the culture of our sports.
I can appreciate the dedication and the hard work they put in to train, but to pick out this guy or that guy and say they aren't using just to say it is not only asinine it's outright stupidity.
Year round testing I think is looking more likely than ever.
It's going to be hard to implement a policy that bans people for failures. UFC isn't going to do it for sure, because it would lead to the release of marketable fighters to opposing groups. And really if the athletic commissions took such a stand I think UFC would try to avoid those commissions because if a guy was banned he'd still want to fight and he'd likely go to a promotion that runs in non-regulated areas and would greatly be strengthened. It's the whole problem with WWE and TNA and the abuse of recreational drugs.
Unquestionably there are more people taking than getting caught. And that goes for not only the people who aren't tested, but also the ones who are but still beat the test. That's true for every sport with a steroid problem by the way.
As for the last post, I'm cleaning up the stupidity. You want to call MMA a work, take it to Sherdog.
(by last post I mean the one now gone)
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How is it sport again if it's not regulated the same everywhere you compete?
rumor has it the nba is bringing back illegal defense, but just in the western conference
I'm putting my foot down on nonsense. You make a completely idiotic argument and I'm deleting it. And 3/4 of the post I just deleted was perfectly fine.
The AL has the designated hitter and the NL doesn't.
Boxing has different regulations in different locations. So does soccer. We only think of uniform regulations in this country because we're used to it from our major pro team sports.
all teams, in both leagues, both nba and mlb, are playing under the same regulations as far as steroids are concerned
Todd, I disagree with you on the UFC not wanting strict testing because it would help their competitors. I think they have enough of a lead over everyone else that it's not that big of a threat to them at this point, and they've seemed very friendly toward the commissions and willing to go along with them.
All it would take it for Nevada, California, and New Jersey to take the first step, and that would lock down all the key markets, and I don't think the UFC would have a problem with it.
Keep in mind the big commission states have a lot of leverage over any organization that wants to ever get licensed in their state. They've already made it clear that if they suspend a fighter and an organization uses that fighter, even outside their jurisdiction, then that organization is not going to be licensed in their state. How many organizations would be willing to make a go at the UFC without being able to run shows in Vegas, Jersey, or California?
if you don't think MMA has ring calls like wrestling or that the fighters aren't communicating i would say you're very nieve.
about all sports.
Is your implication in this last post, Al, that all sports are a work? Hmm...well, perhaps in the NBA. You spelled naive wrong, by the way. Call me a Grammar Mark.
the pride refs straight out of star trek are a good indicator
but they're closed
integrity of sport? how can 1 expect to have integrity in sport when the refs are betting the games?
I guess I'm the only one who caught the guy who runs the oversight of NFL refs mention that there were 80% italian refs in the super bowl this year.
maybe that was tongue in cheek, probably not.
as fur the anonymous guy who thought mma had ring calls allah pro wrestling, that fighters communicate during the fight (other than with their feet and fists) to ensure that a match has the greatest potential entertainment value...
well, he's not that far off
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