At the conclusion of yesterday's UFC 146 press conference in Las Vegas, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) randomly administered drug tests on fighters who were present to participate in the festivities.
Among the fighters who were tested were Antonio Silva and Alistair Overeem. "Bigfoot" was busted in 2008 for using steroids and though "The Reem" has never tested positive for any banned substances, he has constantly been under a microscope when it comes to steroid accusations.
So much so, that the NSAC laid down some very strict drug testing guidelines for the former K-1 champion in order to be granted a conditional license to compete in his bout against Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.
The testing may have caught everyone buy surprise, but Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
Speaking to MMA Weekly after the press conference, White say the UFC and the athletic commissions do more drug testing than anyone else and also takes aim at the NFL , NBA and the MLB saying that if they got tested on a regular basis, there would be no sports to enjoy due to all of the athletes getting busted.
Check it out:
"Test them every time they perform. Test them every time they run out onto the field. Randomly test guys every time they run out onto the field. NFL, NBA, Major league baseball, test them. I'd love to see that happen and see, you would have guys getting popped fucking left and right. Let me put it to you this way. We got 375 guys under contract. We are doing a zillion fights a year. Right? Were traveling all over the world, all these other things were doing. Now, you really think we can crack down and just fucking chase these guys around everywhere they live all over the world and just randomly test these guys all the time? On top of all the other things were doing? You have to really sit back and you have to think and you have to use a little bit of reality and a little bit of, come on. It's unrealistic for me to chase these fucking guys all over the world and test them for marijuana, cocaine, steroids and this and that. It's impossible! We do more than any other sports organization on the planet. I want to see fucking baseball and football and all these other guys get tested the way we get tested. There would be no football, baseball or anything else if they got tested the way we get tested."
A first, in the promotion's history, Dana White firmly defends the decision of the drug test immediately after the press conference, seeing that it's just another way to prove to everyone that his organization and the athletic commissions that approve the events do more in the drug testing department than any other sports organization in the world, bar none.
Though there is no exact word on when the results from the testings will be made available, it is safe to assume everyone will be anxious to see whether or not anything negative (or positive) surfaces as a result.
What's your take Maniacs, do you share the sentiments of the UFC's head honcho? Or are the rest of the top sports leagues doing their part to keep their respective sports drug free?
Thoughts?