What other sports intrude on fighters with drug testing like the UFC?

[Dogo1]

I think the WTA may also use Wada

 

[Valhoven]

No. They each have their own program.

Why was this route with USADA chosen and not one similar to other "publicly approved" sports? Unionised vs. non? (Honest question)

Thoughts on which more likely regarding roll out of USADA across the board:

a) To clean house for sake of fighter welfare and enforce "natural" competition, or

(b) To change public façade, rebrand with media etc and thereby open otherwise shut doors to grow company

I think this was the logic:

1. MMA is considered cockfighting still by many.
2. Dana/Zuffa response is short sighted bravado: we'll implement the strictest testing. We are serious.

Dana and Co. envision UFC being on par with the American mainstream sport leagues but decided not to pursue a standard said leagues hold themselves to? WTF...it just seems to me extra overhead, risk and cost to meet their goal while the integrity of card line-ups is also frustrating fans. How sharp need Ockham's razor be...

 

[Pacemaker Joe]

Doesn't the NFL, NHL and NBA also use USADA? I honestly don't know.

No. MLB uses the WADA lab in Montreal and has a program that's very similar to the what USADA would implement, but no major North American sport uses USADA. Some soccer leagues use the equivalent of USADA though, EPL uses UKAD for their anti-doping program.

Virtually all athletes who have a chance of competing in the olympics are subject to that sort of testing though, and most of them get paid less than those in the UFC for putting up with it.

 

[Th3Sav4ge]

Cycling
Athletics
Tennis
Soccer
Swimming
Water POlo
Archery
Marathon
Field events (High jump etc)
Biathlon
Triathlon
Badminton
Bobsleigh
Cannooing
Curling
Horse Racing/Showjumping
Fencing
Field Hockey
Gymnastics
Weight Lifting
Wrestling
Handball
Shooting
Ice Skating
Skiing
Volleyball
Taewando
American Football (Non NFL)
Motor racing
Snooker/Billiads
Boules!
Parachuting
Dancing
Motorcycling
Powerboating
Orienteering
Roller Sports
Water Skiing
Wushu
Surfing
Squash
Tug of War
Golf
BodyBuiding
Ju-Jitsu
Kickboxing
Muaythai
Powerlifting
Sambo
Boxing
Billiards

Do you want me to go on?

yeah but what other sports though

 

[FedorGOAT]

no big sport. they're not stupid to do this shit

but it seems like england's premier league is partners with USADA. maybe that's why they haven't been relevant in a while in the european scene

but NFL, NBA, MLB, eu footbal and all that don't care about this crap

UEFA obviously cares. Our Mamadou Sakho got banned for taking fat burner. Even though UEFA released him later.

 

[Valhoven]

yeah but what other sports though

It's evident that USADA tests faecal specimens from both Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi, so I would add competitive eating to that list.

 

[dim_]

Why was this route with USADA chosen and not one similar to other "publicly approved" sports? Unionised vs. non? (Honest question)

...

Youre making it sound like people using USADA (or other national anti doping agency) are in the minority. They arent. The vast majority of worldwide sports either operate under the WADa code, or set the same standards as the WADA code.

The question really should be

Why do the NFL, NBA and NHL not adhere to same standards that every other sport in the world does?

 

[Th3Sav4ge]

It's evident that USADA tests faecal specimens from both Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi, so I would add competitive eating to that list.

wel.....thats some fuckin competitive eating

 

[Prutfis]

Cycling. They even have to make their whereabouts known outside of comp as well.

 

[Pacemaker Joe]

no big sport. they're not stupid to do this shit

but it seems like england's premier league is partners with USADA. maybe that's why they haven't been relevant in a while in the european scene

but NFL, NBA, MLB, eu footbal and all that don't care about this crap

UKAD, not USADA. Essentially the same though. UK Anti Doping vs. United States Anti Doping Agency

 

[DetroitRob]

The NFL does their testing similar to the UFC USADA partnership. The players have to notify the testing agency where they are at and have to make themselves available to testing at a moment's notice. I believe the NFL only tests for PEDs but I am not 100% sure of it.

The truth is everyone wanted drug testing for the UFC but now the UFC hired the best agency to do it and fans favorites are getting popped a lot of people want to get rid of it. Dana White is correct when he says they have the best drug testing in sports

I do not know much about the NBA so I can not comment.

 

[Valhoven]

Youre making it sound like people using USADA (or other national anti doping agency) are in the minority. They arent. The vast majority of worldwide sports either operate under the WADa code, or set the same standards as the WADA code.

The question really should be

Why do the NFL, NBA and NHL not adhere to same standards that every other sport in the world does?

I wrote that post while you were writing yours (great posts previously, btw) and I learned from yours that this indeed is a better question, IF this is true:

a) To clean house for sake of fighter welfare and enforce "natural" competition, or

Not, if this is:

(b) To change public façade, rebrand with media etc and thereby open otherwise shut doors to grow company

Because those select exceptions to the rule, like the NFL, do the numbers that Dana hopes for the UFC to emulate.

 

[Prutfis]

Youre making it sound like people using USADA (or other national anti doping agency) are in the minority. They arent. The vast majority of worldwide sports either operate under the WADa code, or set the same standards as the WADA code.

The question really should be

Why do the NFL, NBA and NHL not adhere to same standards that every other sport in the world does?

BINGO.. Great insight as always man. The NFL are more souped up than the WWE

 

[Luger]

Aren't even the grandmasters in chess being randomly tested?

Roid rage?

 

[JonesBones]

Cycling
Athletics
Tennis
Soccer
Swimming
Water POlo
Archery
Marathon
Field events (High jump etc)
Biathlon
Triathlon
Badminton
Bobsleigh
Cannooing
Curling
Horse Racing/Showjumping
Fencing
Field Hockey
Gymnastics
Weight Lifting
Wrestling
Handball
Shooting
Ice Skating
Skiing
Volleyball
Taewando
American Football (Non NFL)
Motor racing
Snooker/Billiads
Boules!
Parachuting
Dancing
Motorcycling
Powerboating
Orienteering
Roller Sports
Water Skiing
Wushu
Surfing
Squash
Tug of War
Golf
BodyBuiding
Ju-Jitsu
Kickboxing
Muaythai
Powerlifting
Sambo
Boxing
Billiards

Do you want me to go on?

Yeah, the Olympics and shit. lol at those "sports"

Youre making it sound like people using USADA (or other national anti doping agency) are in the minority. They arent. The vast majority of worldwide sports either operate under the WADa code, or set the same standards as the WADA code.

The question really should be

Why do the NFL, NBA and NHL not adhere to same standards that every other sport in the world does?

Cuz sports are about entertainment and making money. Nobody knows that better than Zuffa. And the NFL brings in more revenue than any sports league in the world. The top 3 are all American btw.

 

[Geo_Mac]

1. MMA is considered cockfighting still by many.
2. Dana/Zuffa response is short sighted bravado: we'll implement the strictest testing. We are serious.

What actually happens:

It ruins cards and makes the UFC actually look like they have the most juicers. lol. These USADA tests are like MCAT or something. The average UFC fighter is at a 3rd grade reading level. They can't pass these fucking things. It is like my high school having higher standards than Harvard. It is absurd. And most leagues are smart enough to realize this.

USADA isn't ruining cards.

The fighters are very well aware that the UFC has a testing program, they are aware that at any given time USADA can come in and administer a test. These fighters who are using illegal drugs are the ones who are ruining cards...I'm sure that if you asked Daniel Cormier who ruined his last title fight he's not going to say USADA.

 

[dim_]

I wrote that post while you were writing yours (great posts previously, btw) and I learned from yours that this indeed is a better question, IF this is true:

a) To clean house for sake of fighter welfare and enforce "natural" competition, or

Not, if this is:

(b) To change public façade, rebrand with media etc and thereby open otherwise shut doors to grow company

Because those select exceptions to the rule, like the NFL, do the numbers that Dana hopes for the UFC to emulate.

I think its simple, the UFC wants to be global and be accepted and mainstream outside of the US.

On the whole most Americans sports fans dont give a monkeys about doping, you dont need to employ USADA to make it in the US.

But, the rest of the world is very familiar with 24/365 testing. Europe where cycling is huge, is used to it, all over Asia, they are used to it, Australia who have just come out of their own huge doping scandal in AFL, are very used to it.

If the UFC wants to make it in a global scale, outside of America, then having a viable anti doping program is a big must.

 

[UFCfan91]

Literally every sport outside the USA apparently

Not that NFL and baseball are big sports anyway

There is a reason little or no other countries play these sports

 

[Iroh]

Basically, the sports that dont use WADA or follow WADA guidelines are the North American Sports Leagues

The rest of the world, from Aussie rules to the Premier League, from Surfing in South America to Kabbadi in India, follow the wada code or wada guidelines

Does following WADA guidelines and rules, mean agencies that use them are as rigorous and reliable/efficient as USADA? Because I think that's what TS is asking.

 

[Deleted member 491001]

Aren't even the grandmasters in chess being randomly tested?

Roid rage?

We'd need to see his stomach to look for bumps and be sure.