New UFC anti-doping policy can get you suspened even if you don't fail a test

[Boonedoggle]

That's because that suspension starts when the regular season starts. Not all suspensions are immediate.

Right, they can't compete in a match, but they can do training camp and practice (before the season starts) and can hang with team mates during off hours.

 

[King of Fists]

Yes. It is different in that sense. The NFL can forbid the teams to allow players to train with the team. The UFC can't do that to gyms, so they shoot for the same goal with a different tactic: they try to ensure that other top fighters don't participate in the camp of a suspended fighter.

I am not trying to say they are identical in practice,and I made that clear, but the principle is the same, when a fighter is suspended, neither the NFL or the UFC want them training with other top athletes. It is part of the punishment for PEds.

Well the thing is it has a fundamentally different affect on those involved. In one case there is 0 affect on other athletes andd in the other case there is potentially a very negative affect.

I'm sure you wouldn't like being laid off from your job if the guy down the hall got caught doing meth.

 

[Xaa]

Right, they can't compete in a match, but they can do training camp and practice (before the season starts) and can hang with team mates during off hours.

Not practice at all during the time they are suspended. That league just doesn't suspend in the preseason.

Once the suspension starts, and until it ends, no practice, contact with the team or use of team facilities.

 

[Xaa]

Well the thing is it has a fundamentally different affect on those involved. In one case there is 0 affect on other athletes andd in the other case there is potentially a very negative affect.

I'm sure you wouldn't like being laid off from your job if the guy down the hall got caught doing meth.

If I took a job knowing that if the guy down the hall got caught doing meth that I couldn't have him help me with my work, I wouldn't have him help me.

 

[Boonedoggle]

Not practice at all during the time they are suspended. That league just doesn't suspend in the preseason.

Once the suspension starts, and until it ends, no practice, contact with the team or use of team facilities.

I understand how the NFL works, I just believe it is a poor analogy.


They should have the power to stop busted players from cornering, but not practicing and training. There is a reason they don't start the suspensions until AFTER training camp and preseason...the same reason why MMA fighters should be able to train with their team while not competing.

 

[Xaa]

I understand how the NFL works, I just believe it is a poor analogy.


They should have the power to stop busted players from cornering, but not practicing and training. There is a reason they don't start the suspensions until AFTER training camp and preseason...the same reason why MMA fighters should be able to train with their team while not competing.

I get your point. Your preseason analogy doesn't work. If you visit any fighter pay threads, they would have you believe it's always in season for MMA.

Like I said earlier in the thread,it's really harsh and I doubt they have the stones to follow through on it.

I see why they want to do it, but when push comes to shove, I think they'll blink.

 

[CardinalAqua]

Uh-oh, Nova Unaio.

you mean uh-oh blackhouse MMA :wink:​

 

[Inashikacho]

You put my quote in a different context. It was in response to people feeling bad that the cheater was blackballed. The cheater makes his own choice.

Sorry if I did take it out of context, but even to your main point I still disagree because there are already so many other reasonably harsh deterrents to doping now.

1- Each fighter will be randomly tested 5-6 times a year (2750 tests per year to 500 fighters) on top of whatever the athletic commissions want to administer. The tests are much higher quality than past tests so the chances of getting caught has sky rocketed.

2- Minimum two year suspension for testing positive. Two years for most UFC fighters is 4-6 fights down drain plus the loss of related income, a massive drop in the rankings, and not to mention fines on top of that from potentially both the UFC and the AC who's jurisdiction they fought in.


Had Melendez been caught under the above circumstances alone, he'd probably have to consider retirement. No money from fighting for 2 years for a guy who averaged ~2 fights a year since joining the ufc means he would cost himself at least $800K in lost fight opportunities based on his last reported payout, plus he'd be facing extensive fines from the AC and the UFC on top of this, meaning more money lost. By the time he comes back if he chooses not to retire, he'd be light years away from a title shot, and likely out of the top 20. That's a big hit no matter how you look at it. What fighter would want to follow in those footsteps?

Blackballing the fighter from training with other UFC fighters is just telling him/her to let their skills erode away for 2 years, where retirement becomes an way more likely scenario, and that's assuming this is only their first offense!!! Do you not see how extreme that is?

 

[Xaa]

Sorry if I did take it out of context, but even to your main point I still disagree because there are already so many other reasonably harsh deterrents to doping now.

1- Each fighter will be randomly tested 5-6 times a year (2750 tests per year to 500 fighters) on top of whatever the athletic commissions want to administer. The tests are much higher quality than past tests so the chances of getting caught has sky rocketed.

2- Minimum two year suspension for testing positive. Two years for most UFC fighters is 4-6 fights down drain plus the loss of related income, a massive drop in the rankings, and not to mention fines on top of that from potentially both the UFC and the AC who's jurisdiction they fought in.


Had Melendez been caught under the above circumstances alone, he'd probably have to consider retirement. No money from fighting for 2 years for a guy who averaged ~2 fights a year since joining the ufc means he would cost himself at least $800K in lost fight opportunities based on his last reported payout, plus he'd be facing extensive fines from the AC and the UFC on top of this, meaning more money lost. By the time he comes back if he chooses not to retire, he'd be light years away from a title shot, and likely out of the top 20. That's a big hit no matter how you look at it. What fighter would want to follow in those footsteps?

Blackballing the fighter from training with other UFC fighters is just telling him/her to let their skills erode away for 2 years, where retirement becomes an way more likely scenario, and that's assuming this is only their first offense!!! Do you not see how extreme that is?

Here's how you avoid it. Don't use PED. Fully within their control.

I understand sympathy for the team. I don't have it for the cheater. If I cheat in my business, I certainly never work in the industry ever again and I may go to jail.

Don't cheat.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Well the thing is it has a fundamentally different affect on those involved. In one case there is 0 affect on other athletes andd in the other case there is potentially a very negative affect.

I'm sure you wouldn't like being laid off from your job if the guy down the hall got caught doing meth.

Yeah. You make a good point that in one case a league puts pressure on the individual being punished and the team organization, in this case the UFC pressures every fighter under contract to comply. There is certainly the potential for abuse given that the policy seems broadly drawn up.

However, I doubt the UFC will or even can successfully suspend a fighter for something as casual as being in the same building as another suspended fighter. I would guess it is to prevent them from being a major part of each others' training camps.

Until the UFC actually takes action along these lines, it's all speculation.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

Right, they can't compete in a match, but they can do training camp and practice (before the season starts) and can hang with team mates during off hours.

Not being able to practice during the season can be pretty serious when dealing with long suspensions.

 

[Inashikacho]

Here's how you avoid it. Don't use PED. Fully within their control.

I understand sympathy for the team. I don't have it for the cheater. If I cheat in my business, I certainly never work in the industry ever again and I may go to jail.

Don't cheat.

Just because a fighter tests positive for a banned substance doesn't mean they took a PED. Weed is no PED, yet you can be suspended a year for it, and deal with all of the associated penalties for it. Fighters are responsible for what goes into there bodies sure, but a first time offense should not do that kind of near-irreversible damage to a fighter's career.

 

[Boonedoggle]

Not being able to practice during the season can be pretty serious when dealing with long suspensions.

I agree. Long suspensions are pretty rare in the NFL, and the violations must be egregious.

 

[jefferz]

I don't see the issue with this, it's really easy to see what team mates are using roids

Spoiler

 

[TheGrouch]

So everyone should be suspended then lol

 

[King of Fists]

Yeah. You make a good point that in one case a league puts pressure on the individual being punished and the team organization, in this case the UFC pressures every fighter under contract to comply. There is certainly the potential for abuse given that the policy seems broadly drawn up.

However, I doubt the UFC will or even can successfully suspend a fighter for something as casual as being in the same building as another suspended fighter. I would guess it is to prevent them from being a major part of each others' training camps.

Until the UFC actually takes action along these lines, it's all speculation.

I agree. I think it sounds bad in theory with the potential for abuse but in reality I have trouble seeing a situation where someone gets suspended because a gym member tested positive. The public backlash would be huge.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

I agree. I think it sounds bad in theory with the potential for abuse but in reality I have trouble seeing a situation where someone gets suspended because a gym member tested positive. The public backlash would be huge.

It would be great if a reporter could be troubled to ask them about this policy and how they intend to enforce it. I'd love to hear an explanation about how and when the UFC would try to take action against fighters for associating with other fighters who were suspended for PEDs.

 

[giusti825]

The UFC has fucked over fighters (too many ways to list), then managers *seriously reduced their power to secure sponsors for fighters), now they are going after gyms???

Ifind it a little coincidental that the UFC opens gyms and now takes an action that is going to directly harm their competitors. Im willing to bet money that they will NEVER suspend anyone who is coincidentally inside a UFC gym while a suspended fighter is present.

 

[HaulParris]

I support this.

 

[Metallicalabran]

great policy to rid steroid completely from MMA

NO ONE ON STEROIDS !!