Junior dos Santos agrees to random blood draws in his fight against PEDs
Today news surfaced that UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has continued his outspoken stance against the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in MMA. After going through a veritable circus surrounding the 14:1 T:E levels of his original opponent Alistair Overeem before UFC 146, he subsequently found out that his replacement foe Frank Mir was indeed on Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Mir’s use was regulated and approved of by the commission, and it did not seem to help him, as dos Santos left the event with his first title defense via TKO.
Always focusing on his view that being a clean fighter is the best way, dos Santos agreed to participate in random blood draws to ensure proof of his natural way of fighting. At a recent press conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, dos Santos said the following regarding the issue:
“I am champion and never have used anything, and I am proud to say that. It is unfair to use substances. With or without authorization, it makes a difference. A fighter who can do this kind of treatment is not himself in the octagon and using tricks to improve his performance.””
The champion joins other high-level fighters such as Mark Munoz and Roy Nelson as anti-TRT, anti-PED proponents. With so many fighters receiving exemptions to use TRT prior to a fight, it now appears there is a group of fighters looking to speak out against this use they view as cheating. News of TRT has been booming around the world of MMA for the last several months, only recently overshadowed by the unprecedented barrage of card-changing injuries. As more and more fighters are found to have used TRT, and more join together to fight this, what will be the end result? Should random drug testing, although costly to the UFC, be implemented? If it is not, will PEDs be the black cloud over MMA that causes a screeching halt to its rapid growth in popularity? The Heavyweight champion has expressed his clear and decisive views, what effect will it have on the plague of drug use within MMA?
Further Reading: Mark Munoz on TRT therapy: It’s cheating
