Do you view Brian Ortega as a cheat?

Yes. Blackhouse aka Roidhouse fighters are all cheats
 
I'm willing to give me credibility to the idea that he might not be cheating now than I am people who pop more than once, during their prime, or under USADA purview, but it will always be an asterisk next to all his wins. A smaller asterisk than most, but an asterisk.
 
I was willing to give him a pass then I read a quote from Ortega a few days ago from an interview he did. Now I'm not so sure.

Ortega in interview regarding getting popped for anabolic steroid:

"... Internet didn't help things. People were badmouthing me, telling me to go kill myself and stuff like that. It was bad. There are people who do a lot of really crazy drugs and bad things and I'm looked like the bad guy because if this?" .


At first in the interview I admired he came clean and admitted he used steroids, when so many other fighters blame it on one thing or another. Was refreshing to see him own up to his mistakes. As he continued ( in quote above) was talking about the hate on the net towards him and sounded bitter. Of course people were upset, he cheated in a professional sport that gave him an edge. T-City had been better to leave the fan bashing alone. Line that bugged me the most was the last, saying people do " crazy drugs and bad things and I'm looked like the bad guy". Yes he is , he's the professional athlete. Who says anybody is giving those other people a pass? This IS about what HE did. Hate blame shifting, just because someone may have done one thing worse than you doesn't make what you did any less offensive. It's the modern was if minimizing what you've done and not accepting blame.

Coming out and admitting his PED offence was a good start but his later statements take away from it IMO. Not truly accepting what he did was wrong since others have done worse.

In recent times this has become a technique used with politicians and big company execs when the screw up. Admit, then shift the issue to others that have done worse. PR companies use this as a standard now. To swing public perception when the offender has no real remorse for his actions.

Like Ortega's mma abilities, he finishes fights and looks to always be improving. Bottom line is he used PEDs. Is it better he was found out early in his UFC career? Only because fewer fans know about it. It would be a MUCH bigger story if it had of happened now. He cheated plain and simple.

Hope he stays clean and did learn from it. The man has talent. If it happens again people won't forgive him and he will forever be known as a cheat. If he remains on a straight path ,turns out to be the "good guy" that does raise money and visits sick kids hospitals, keeps his ego in check. The discretion will fade, people will forget and it won't harm his legacy.

Guess we wait and sed
 
I think all top fighters have or are using something so they all cheat. I was more surprised that Ortega made FW. He looked like a WW in there against Swanson. He was way bigger.
 
Since he tested positive for roiding in 2014, do you view him as a cheat, or have you gotten over it?

Or was that too long ago for you to care? Or do you only care when it's a big name?

Yup
 
I think he's been clean since then. I'm ok with him at this point. If he repeatedly turns up positive my view might change.
 
What is the difference between the guys who got caught and the MASSES of fighters who also juiced but cycled on and off more effectively or didn't get random tested at an inconvenient time?

At what point do you just accept the reality that they all did steroids at some point? If yo made an MMA all time top 20 list 18-20 of them did some form of steroid at some point, most of them did lots of steroids.

Do you consider every pride fighter a dirty cheater for doing what their competition was doing and what they were all but good to do by the company?

Like it or not steroids have been a part of MMA since its inception.

maybe moving forward we have a time where fighters can't juice while fighting in the UFC, but they can still juice all the way up until then.

So the guys that get caught are shit and their accomplishments meaningless but the guys who did the same juice and didn't get caught are heroes?

The only way you can even make a distinction is to part ways with reality. You will never know if anyone is actually "clean", all we will know is who got caught and how many times.
 
A repentant one, which is a nice change of pace. His attitude when he pops (owning up to it) gives him a lot more leeway as far as I'm concerned. If he keeps pissing clean I'm happy.
 
I take steroids and it definitely makes me better at BJJ competition. Luckily they don't test at the regional amateur level
What percentage of BJJ competitors take steroids, in your estimate? I train as well and it's always good to hear the viewpoint of someone in the know.
 
Zero fucks given.
 
he owned up to it and had no excuses.

I think during that time everyone was on steroids, and he just happened to be one of the few to get caught.
 
over it. at this point a majority of the roster is using or has used. the only time i get get bothered now is when they get popped right before a card or right after they win the title. it messes everything up.
 
Cerrone cheated and everyone forgave him so I feel inclined to forgive Ortega. At least it happened at the start of his UFC career and won't taint his future success or achievements (see: Anderson and Jones)
 
As long as people arent considering him as a goat then i wont care. If he enters into a goat discussion in the future, I'll bring it up to remind people why i cant consider him one.
Fair enough
 
What percentage of BJJ competitors take steroids, in your estimate? I train as well and it's always good to hear the viewpoint of someone in the know.

I'm not sure but probably not many because most people at my level seem to be doing it as a hobby and don't have any championship aspirations. So, they probably would not be motivated enough to find and pay for steroids for PED purposes. I don't talk about it with my teammates but I don't think they would care if they knew. I started taking PEDs because I'm 35 and noticed I can't really hang with the young guys, and it changed my whole life and BJJ performance. I'm on TRT, HCG, and Sermorelin which stimulates production of growth hormone.
 
I always give a second chance, but pop twice and you are a cheat for life.
 
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