Under New Rules Silva, Melendez cannot train or work with UFC Fighters.

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Very interesting point brought up by Mike at Halfguarded regarding the new USADA/UFC anti doping policy and how it will effect fighters under suspensions.

Linky

This is something fairly common in other sports, in cycling, we are used to the fact that if a rider is banned they cant take part in the sport in any capacity, they cant practice with the team, they cant coach other riders, they cant train other athletes, they have to effectively sit out for the entire period of their ban. There was recently a fairly large storm when american cyclist Tejay Van Garderen was pictured training/being motorpaced behind banned cyclist Lance Armstrong and there was much discussion whether this constituded training.

Going forward, under the new regulations, any fighters are currently suspended are prevented from working with, coaching, training, other UFC fighters.

from the ufc anti doping policy

1. All Athletes under contract with UFC from the date of their first contract until the earlier of the termination of their contract with UFC or such time as they give notice to UFC in writing of their retirement from competition; and

2. All Athlete Support Personnel who: participate in any UFC Bout in any capacity, including without limitation as a manager, coach, trainer, second, corner man, agent, official, medical or paramedical personnel, or who have been identified by an Athlete to UFC or USADA as an Athlete Support Person.

Any Athlete, Athlete Support Personnel, or other Person who commits an Anti-Doping Policy Violation while subject to this Policy shall remain subject to this Policy for purposes of results management and discipline after the relationship which originally gave rise to UFC’s or USADA’s authority has ceased.

the key part being "athlete support personel"

Athlete Support Personnel: Any coach, trainer, corner man, second, manager, agent, official, medical or paramedical personnel, or any other Person working with, treating or assisting an Athlete participating in or preparing for a Bout.

which brings us to the prohibited association clause of the anti doping policy

2.10 PROHIBITED ASSOCIATION

Association by an Athlete or other Person in a professional or sport-related capacity with any Athlete Support Person who:

2.10.1 If subject to the authority of UFC, USADA, another Anti-Doping Organization or Athletic Commission, is serving a period of Ineligibility; or

2.10.2 If not subject to the authority of UFC, USADA another Anti-Doping Organization or Athletic Commission, has been convicted or found in a criminal, disciplinary or professional proceeding to have engaged in conduct which would have constituted a violation of this Anti-Doping Policy if this Anti-Doping Policy had been applicable to such Person. The disqualifying status of such Person shall be in force for the longer of six years from the criminal, professional or disciplinary decision or the duration of the criminal, disciplinary or professional sanction imposed; or

2.10.3 Is serving as a front or intermediary for an individual described in Article 2.10.1 or 2.10.2.

In order for this provision to apply, it is necessary that the Athlete or other Person has previously been advised in writing by USADA, of the Athlete Support Person’s disqualifying status and the potential Consequence of prohibited association and that the Athlete or other Person can reasonably avoid the association. USADA shall also use reasonable efforts to advise the Athlete Support Person who is the subject of the notice to the Athlete or other Person that the Athlete Support Person may, within15 days, come forward to USADA to explain that the criteria described in Articles 2.10.1 and 2.10.2 do not apply to him or her.

In other words, within 15 days of Silva's convincted USADA will inform him that as a banned athlete he is forbidden from working with, training, any other UFC athlete for the purpose of assisting them.

This also means, that theoretically, if he wanted to return in a fight say early February, he would have to ensure that all his training up to 31st january was only with fighters not under the UFC/USADA doping policy.

Same would apply to Melendez. He should have now been informed by USADA that he cannot work with, train or coach other contracted UFC athletes, cannot corner for them, cannot help them with weigh in's.

A lot more in that article worth reading, but it puts a real perspective on one aspect of the new anti doping regulations.

 

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An example from that article on Melendez

Back to Melendez. He could fail a test for PED usage and be suspended two years. Melendez might then go out and help his good friend, Nate Diaz, prepare for a fight (one that doesn’t happen in the stands) and as a result two things could happen:

Melendez would see an additional two years added to his suspension;
Diaz could find himself suspended for simply training with Melendez.

 

[LSU]

Germans

 

[gopackgo555]

That's actually very interesting. Gonna change things

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

That is ridiculous

 

[UL]

That's stupid

 

[Megatronlee]

Hahahah yeah right. Nobody is gnns follow that rule. I train with ufc fighters daily. It's not
Always on film

 

[Kalmah]

That's just stupid. This isn't a team sport.

 

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For sake of argument.

+ On one hand this is normal. If you are in any other sport and are banned for ped's you cannot train with, coach or get involved with your team while you sit out your suspension. Football, you train alone, Baseball, you train alone, basketball, you dont get to train with your teammates, its common in all other sports. Banned from the sport means "banned from the sport".

+ On the other hand, MMA is unique in some ways in that some aspects of it depend on having another person to train with.

That said, the onus is on the athlete training not to employ a banned athlete as one of their training partners. So its not saying Melendez, you cant train with anyone, its saying "anyone caught training with Gilbert will be committed a doping violation".

But of course, that restricts what Melendez can do himself during that period.


What we wont see is Melendez appearing in Diaz corner, and they will have to be careful not to post videos of the two of them training together.. but its going to be pretty hard to monitor them.

Its generally applied when a coach is banned for supplying ped's and it then becomes a doping offence to work with that coach. But MMA is also a unique sport in that athletes often also act as coaches/training partners.



i think the key difference between peoples interpretation of a ban, and usada and wada's interpretation of the ban is

people interpret a ban as

+ banned from competing

whereas usada and wada interpret a ban as

+ banned from the sport

 

[MMA-woooooh!!!!]

well that's bs

 

[Nezahualcoyotl]

I say this ALL the time.

They keep trying to take the most BS parts of team sports and other leagues without taking everything else into consideration. A gym team isn't the same as an NFL team. This is beyond stupid.

Is this even a thing a boxing?

 

[dim_]

I say this ALL the time.

They keep trying to take the most BS parts of team sports and other leagues without taking everything else into consideration. A gym team isn't the same as an NFL team. This is beyond stupid.

Is this even a thing a boxing?

The key difference being that boxing (in most instances) - along with nfl, nba etc - hasnt agreed to adhere to wada protocol. But yes, if a boxing "coach" or "trainer" was banned for PED offence, then any athletes who were under the wada code would be committing an offence if they "worked" with him or her.

(actually, wada regulations on the whole are aimed at individual sports, olympic disciplines, athletes, tennis, swimming etc)


Wada protocol prevents an athlete banned for doping from working in ANY capacity in the sport during their ban.

Not saying I agree or disagree with it, but its an interesting discussion nonetheless

So NSAC ban Silva from Competing
USADA ban any athletes under its policy from "working with" Silva (as he is serving a ban)

 

[Human Bass]

Nobody will care or obbey because it is very stupid for a individual sport.

 

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Nobody will care or obbey because it is very stupid for a individual sport.

but track and field, tennis, etc are all individual sports and fall under the same rules.

Im not sure how they will enforce it. Think athletes will just have to be very careful about tweeting pictures or posting videos from training sessions. And obviously, banned athletes will not be allowed to appear as corners etc.

So Nick Diaz cannot currently corner for Nate.

 

[CarloSpcyWeiner]

They're going to drive a lot of guys out of MMA. And expect the fights to get sloppier as this continues.

 

[ALAN PARTRIDGE]

unmanageable

 

[$uicideboy$]

thank god
disgraceful human beings, should not even be allowed to step into a gym

 

[BisexualMMA]

Can give information and strategy to Steven Seagal and have him relay to other fighters?

 

[Soul On Ice]

That should be easy to monitor.

 

[Legendary]

How do you regulate this? Diaz bros, Shields, and Gil are always with each other. I would be training regardless. This is fucking stupid.