Although not playing for more than 2 years, Conor McGregor is still a big name in the MMA world. His appearance is synonymous with an interesting match, extremely burning trash-talk, and accompanied by the attention of the media and huge income.
So of course not only the fans, but also UFC, especially President Dana White, are very hopeful McGregor can re -export in the octagon cage.
According to usual, the boxer who plans to return to the UFC floor will be taken by the US doping prevention committee (USADA) to take a doping test, and the boxer will need two “clean” tests for at least 6 months before entering the match.
Conflict starts from here. While USADA asked Conor McGregor to wait 6 months to be proven to be “clean” doping, Ireland and UFC puncher said that only Conor would give enough 2 negative doping test samples.
The conflict between Conor McGregor, UFC, with USADA
According to what CEO of USADA, Mr. Travis Tygart, revealed to the media, UFC and USADA were still good in the meeting in May to extend the test contract – check the boxer between the two sides, starting in 2024.
However, the conflict between the two sides emerged when the case of Conor McGregor was discussed. UFC wants USADA to give Conor McGregor an exception to the time of sampling tests, as the previous cases of Brock Lesnar and Miesha Tate.
Tygart said frankly that UFC wanted to be biased for their biggest stars, and USADA wanted to be fair for all boxers. No one should be “exception”. According to the USADA CEO, this must have made UFC decide to “turn the car”, tear the agreement to continue cooperating with USADA to select a contract with a new doping checker.
In response, in the last press conference, CBO of UFC Hunter Campbell, along with Vice President managing UFC's martial arts health issues, Jeff Novitzky; Speaking that USADA is “smearing” UFC with unreasonable accusations.
UFC's CBO confirmed that the idea of stopping cooperation with USADA came more than a year ago, when UFC thought that with the development of technology, they could create a more efficient doping test program, not too annoying for all parties, especially the boxers.
There are many boxers who complained that the time USADA was extremely inadequate samples. For example, on the right day of the competition of Alexander Volkanovski, he was asleep to get the ultimate power, when the staff took a sample knocking at the door at 6am. Or as Paulo Costa is cutting water, cutting weight, the people are dry again, and also asked by USADA staff to get the amount of urine samples.
Therefore, Campbell concluded, 8 years ago, the only option to check doping for boxers is USADA. But now, USADA is no longer the optimal choice.
Doping and the reason of USADA
In theory, the definition of “doping” is the use of chemicals and non -natural methods to improve the achievements of the boxer.
There are many different doping classifications. Regarding the use of banned substances, to avoid fatigue and help the body achieve maximum power, boxers may use painkillers, recovery of steamed cardio-steamed drugs, central nervous system stimulants, which may be antidepressants and strong stimulation.
Machine structure, body shape can be modified by absorbing steroids that mimic testosterone. Use anti -stress pills to easily sleep and maintain physical characteristics that are also counted as doping.
Non -natural methods will include pharmacological, chemical or physical operations, such as drinking lots of water, or drinking probenecid to inhibit the renal tubules “discharge” banned substances into urine samples. There is no need to “not appear”, as long as the concentration of banned substances in the urine is low enough.
Blood doping is a more advanced application and is also harder to detect. To increase the maximum amount of red blood cells in the blood, load more oxygen to the muscles, people will take 1 to 4 units of blood from the athlete itself, separate red blood cells, keep the cold, and wait a while to pass on to the main athlete for about 1 week before the match.
For boxers, sometimes just one advantage on the stage is enough to decide to win. Therefore, the temptation of doping is extremely large. In an interview in 2012, former UFC Krzysztof Soszynski boxer stated that maybe 95-96% of the top UFC athletes that day were using doping, from steroids, EPO drugs that stimulate red blood cells, to “high-tech” techniques such as stem cell injection.
“I am extremely agreed with random testing for a long time before the upper stage,” Krzysztof Soszynski said.
“Especially about 10 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 weeks before the match. It was the time when he was practicing the heaviest, plowing the most. Quite many people will abuse steroids at that time. Not about 2 weeks, 2 and a half weeks before the floor – at that time the boxers were more relaxed so they could go to the floor to be healthy.”
“Tao tall one, Macau a staff”, and the development of doping detection technology, the use of doping also becomes more closed and difficult to detect. The story of USADA employees knocking on the door of the martial artist at 6am is also the cause: that time is the easiest time for urine testing to have many traces of chemicals, synthetic steroids.
So, in theory, USADA has their reason when persevering with the timeline of 6 months before the match.
UFC – USADA broke up, affecting the boxers?
Humor in that, at the same time with the UFC – USADA notice no longer continued to cooperate from January 1, 2024, USADA also confirmed that Conor McGregor has started the time can take the doping test back again from October 8, 2023. USADA's CEO said he was “not guaranteed” whether UFC obeyed the 6 -month law, because USADA would no longer be responsible after the next 2 months.
But at least what is happening, there was no exception for Conor McGregor. If the rumor about Conor could lead UFC 300 with Michael Chandler was accurate, Conor still completed the sampling for 6 months before the match, very lawful.
CBO UFC Hunter Campbell and Vice President Jeff Novitzky clearly stated that they feel dissatisfied with the way USADA Vin in the case of Conor McGregor, and causing UFC boxers, “extremely confused” gyms to know whether the boxer will continue to check doping or not.
“The answer is that UFC will still check doping,” Campbell said. “We just no longer cooperate with USADA.”
Replacing USADA's position in the doping test program is another organization, Drug Free Sport International.
The biggest difference between USADA and Drug Free Sport is that USADA is responsible for taking samples and doping tests, and Drug Free Sport is only responsible for taking blood samples and urine from boxers. The test will be performed by the SMRTL Labing Department of the Wada World Doping Prevention Agency.
UFC promises that their new doping testing program, although simpler and more reasonable for boxers, technically, the tests will be more detailed and stricable than whatDa is doing.
UFC's technological balcony is developing a new system to record the schedule and position of the boxer, convenient for employees to take samples to meet the random boxer. The public will also monitor which boxer has been sampled, the results are clearer.
As for the test, the SMRTL Lab will have more tests for EPO drugs to stimulate red blood cell reproduction, more growth hormones, and more rigorous in checking suspected steroids. The boxers will also have their own “biological records”, to compare and track various test samples over time.
Anyway, USADA and their doping tests have played a huge role in improving the audience's confidence in the MMA arena, which is blind with scandals about the abuse of Trt, Steroids in the early years of 2010. There is a fair from USADA, MMA can become an official sport, rather than a Freakshow platform struggling in recreation. Can Drug Free Sport and SMRTL lab can replace this position? That question will need time to answer.