UFC 151 Media Call: Jon Jones says MMA fighters shouldn’t have to use TRT
The controversial topic of TRT again rears its head in MMA, this time surrounding a high-profile title fight. When Dan Henderson enters the cage to face Jon Jones on September 1st, he will be 42 years old and seemingly getting better with age, at a time when most fighters are long gone. It is no secret that Henderson uses a TRT regime to help him combat the effects of aging and a hard training schedule. He is far from the only one to use the controversial therapy by now, with fighters like Chael Sonnen, Forrest Griffin, and Rampage Jackson all publicly using TRT. However, UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones takes exception to the use. He spoke out against TRT in today’s UFC 151 media conference call, thinking that if a fighter has to use hormone replacement, perhaps they shouldn’t be fighting at all:
“That’s a pretty controversial topic, I’m not sure I should go there or not. Basically, I believe that if you’re healthy enough to play a sport, you shouldn’t take any performance-enhancing drugs or anything with testosterone. Fighters make a lot of money in their 20s, they make a lot of money in their 30s, and when they get in their 40s, unfortunately, you’re in your 40s. I don’t think you should be able to take a drug to pretty much give you the strength of a 30-year-old again. That’s like me saying, ‘Oh, I’m not as fast as I was when I was 20. Let me just take something to be 20 again.” – via 5thRound.com
Apparently Jones was sure enough to address the topic of TRT, renouncing it strongly. Hormone therapy will always be a debatable issue for MMA fighters and fans, with many like Mark Munoz, Tito Ortiz, and Michael Bisping speaking out against its use while many others reap its benefits. Jones thinks it creates a non-level playing field, and that is up to interpretation. He closed on the issue with the following:
“I think things like TRT and steroids should be for the sick or for the normal people that really need the drugs. But athletes, if you’re an athlete, be an athlete. I don’t think anyone should have anything that enhances them.”
Henderson is not bashful or secretive about his use, and has never once tested with T levels outside of the normal range. Is TRT a black eye over the sport of MMA that is here to stay? What are your thoughts on Dan Henderson‘s age-defying winning ways?
