Should athletes still be randomly tested during time outs?

[serr]

With the Jones v Cormier fight rumored to happen at UFC 197 in May, Jones will have like 3 weeks to be tested randomly. This is after he had over a year of free time to potentially have used PEDs. Not making accusations but I think NSAC needs to address situations where athletes take time outs knowing they will eventually return to fight. This is common practise in other sports and even on the Olympic level where athletes say they are retiring in order to avoid testing.

Not saying Jones is using anything for sure, but the amount of strength and muscle he put on with 50ng/dl testosterone levels (teenage Asian girl levels) should make him a candidate for extra testing (rather than no testing) and should bring to light the issue of fighters(athletes in general) taking "time off" from a sport to freely use PEDs.

This isn't necessarily focusing on Jones and whether or not he's using PEDs, but more in general of how to get around fighters using PEDs when they aren't competing. Nick Diaz and Anderson Silva also fall under this category, not accusing them of anything either, but just want to use all these fighters as examples of situations where fighters can freely use PEDs that would enhance their body for a fight in the future.

How can this be fixed? In my opinion NSAC should continue random testing on suspended fighters. Any fighter resuming the sport after a long layoff should be randomly tested in the 10 weeks before their fight.

 

[jeff7b9]

He didn't "take time off" he was suspended.

You sure he wasn't tested?

I'm pretty sure he remained under UFC contract the whole time otherwise he could have entertained offers from Bellator or Rizin who I would imagine would have loved to snatch jon up, he is #1 p4p and gets tons of press.

 

[Non]

Can they legally?

If I'm not mistaken, the commissions can only test fighters with whom are actually licensed to fight in their jurisdiction.

There is a deadline for which one has to apply for a license before they can fight so that the commission has time do any testing that is required.

The USADA however doesn't seem to have any such restriction as they popped by Mighty Mouse's house while he was streaming on twitch and I don't think he has a fight lined up any time soon.

And I've been out of the loop for quite some time now I'm not sure if the USADA operates through the commissions or if they're operating independently in cooperation with the UFC in which they would have the ability to do such testing. Whether they have the motivation to, however, is subjective but that's purely speculation as I don't know the details.​

 

[mmafansince93]

LMAO...

Really? The idea of random out of competition is to test any athlete under contract at any time, no matter what. They get to misinform Novitsky of their location a couple of times a year, but that's the only loophole they have for their PED protocol. To combat that they encourage informants and use spys...

There are still plenty of drugs that cannot be detected but it takes the well informed to get away with it now.

 

[raconnor]

There's only so much that USADA can do. GSP is another example. He technically "retired" but he is considering coming back to competition right now. He could be juiced to the gills right now and there is no risk that he will get caught while he prepares for a comeback.

 

[Merman]

Nope. If you are suspended you can not fight. That's like having a driver's license suspended but having to go take a driving test during that suspension.

 

[LongTermLurker]

Jones has been tested already since getting reinstated I think.

 

[Ez Eric]

I'm not a Jones fan at all. I really don't like him. But I have to ask you this. When you say he tested at 50 ng/DL, which you say is very low levels of testosterone, was this tested when he was cutting weight right before a fight? Because cutting weight keeps you from getting sufficient vitamins and proteins. I know when I had to cut weight for wrestling, I know my testosterone was temporarily low until you weigh in and stuff yourself with food.

Plus, several weeks of a fight camp. Combine that with cutting weight. Could that possibly be the reason for his low test levels?

Again, not defending Jones. Just asking a serious question.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Can they legally?

If I'm not mistaken, the commissions can only test fighters with whom are actually licensed to fight in their jurisdiction.

​

True

 

[dim_]

This is common practise in other sports and even on the Olympic level where athletes say they are retiring in order to avoid testing..

No its not. In olympic sport theres a provision built into the wada code and national anti doping bodies that if an athlete formaly retires, on return they have to be in the testing pool for 4-6 months before they can compete.

In cycling for instance its 6 months, famously breached when Armstrong returned at the 2009 Tour down Under just 5 months into his registered testing return. In most olympic sports its 6 months.

UFC also has this built into their anti doping policy. If you retire, and then return you have to be in the testing pool for 4 months before you can compete. Same if you cease to have a contract with them, so Benson Henderson for instance will have to undergo 4 months of being in the testing pool before he can fight should he return to the UFC.

 

[dim_]

Jones has been tested already since getting reinstated I think.

2 samples, 1 blood, 1 urine in mid december