Is Everyone On Steroids?

The UFC put on another jam-packed fight week last week starting with UFC Fight Night 90 on Thursday, following up with The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale Friday and finishing with UFC 200 on Saturday, July 9. After such a wild week of fights, there’s a lot to debate, but perhaps the most poignant topic was what happened outside the octagon.

Jon Jones started a sequence of events that once again threaten to hinder his career massively, all dating back to a June 16 failed drug test.

During the stacked and extremely busy UFC fight week, USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) pioneer Jeff Novitzky dropped the bomb on ‘Bones” failed dope screen. Removed from UFC 200 and again in a world of trouble, the catastrophic moment reminds us of a question we’ve addressed in the past: Is everyone in the UFC on steroids?

Although the exact details of Jones’ test are yet to be confirmed, it’s hard to ignore just how many fighters have been failing drug tests recently. Since the UFC joined forces with USADA to clamp down on doping in MMA, legends like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones have failed tests. Main events have fallen apart, fighters have been served with hefty bans, and the image of the sport has repeatedly been brought in to question.

As lightweight Nate Diaz recently said, via BloodyElbow.com:

“No one ever says what people get busted for when they test positive for steroids,” Diaz said. “But when Nick got busted, ‘what did Nick Diaz get suspended for? Cannabis.’ How come we all know that? How come it never goes away? How come it’s repeatedly talked about?

“If anybody gets busted for something (and) no one’s saying what it is, it’s f—-ng steroids. You’re all on steroids.”

When Anderson Silva tested positive for anabolic steroids back in 2015, it was like having the wind taken out of our sails. The legend, arguably the greatest fighter of all-time, found with steroids in his system. But was this the truth that a few fighters have been telling for years? Is everyone in MMA on steroids? It’s a very dark and dangerous subject to address, and essentially could undermine the sport in its entirety if true.

The question is so much greater than just how many people are cheating, and it pays to remember that USADA hasn’t even found their stride with this whole MMA testing program. Once they do, it could spell trouble for paying fans and also the promotion. Could it have had anything to do with the Fertittas selling the UFC and moving on? That would be purely a speculative opinion.

UFC and Pride legend Dan Henderson recently opined on the controversial topic, claiming steroid use would simply evolve with the trends of testing. An alarming prediction, but there are already loopholes appearing in the testing regime with the new go-to excuse of ‘tainted supplements.’

Could it be that fighters are beginning to take the risk of getting busted because a ‘lighter’ sentence can be handed down if tainted supplements are confirmed? Again, purely speculative, but an interesting point nonetheless.

The truth of the matter is that steroids have been around MMA way longer than any form of credible drug testing. In the long run, we could well see a new generation of ‘clean’ fighters take over the sport, and possibly the case of Michael Bisping is an example of that. Not to accuse Luke Rockhold of steroid abuse, but ‘The Count’ has seen a considerable rise in form since USADA came around; the same cannot be said for many of the fighters that defeated the British middleweight during the TRT era and pre-USADA time.

So what is in store for the future of MMA? One thing is for sure, either through physical form, failed tests, or maybe a drop in fighting success, we will eventually have a better picture of how rampant steroids are (and were) in MMA.

Is everyone using steroids? Well, it could be safer to assume yes than no, especially given recent scandals that have been smearing the sport.

But again, that’s just an assumption. Hopefully USADA can answer that question and solve any relevant problems as the UFC goes forward with new ownership.