LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced the details of their new anti-doping program, which is now in effect for all UFC athletes.
This comes after UFC cut ties with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in October, days after former champion Conor McGregor re-entered the testing pool. He hasn't been in the Octagon since July 2021 due to a broken leg. The USADA requires fighters to be in the testing pool for at least six months and submit two negative tests in order to be eligible to fight.
"Unfortunately, we do not currently know whether the UFC will ultimately honor the six-month or longer requirement because, as of Jan. 1, 2024, USADA will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program," USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a statement in October. "The UFC's move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under USADA's leadership."
On Thursday, the UFC unveiled some of the new policies and said they will continue to change as the sport moves forward.
"This latest UFC Anti-Doping Program is the result of our continued efforts to protect the athletes who compete in the Octagon," UFC Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky said. "This new program is the result of years of input and trial and error taken by UFC, our athletes, and third parties who have assisted UFC in operating the program. The anti-doping policy is a living and breathing document that will continue to evolve and adapt when clear science supports changes that can further protect athletes who compete in UFC."
According to UFC, some of the policies include no-notice sample collections by Dug Free Sport International, DFSI, or one of its contracted affiliates. The organization currently works with other organizations like Major League Baseball, the National Football League, FIFA, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, NCAA, and NASCAR. Sample analysis will be done by Sports Medicine and Research Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City.
UFC officials said the administration of their Anti-Doping Program will be done by Combat Sports Anti-Doping, CSAD, and its president George Piro who worked in federal and local law enforcement for more than 30 years, including with the FBI.
When it comes to which substances are and aren't allowed, UFC officials said it will generally remain the same as the previous program. UFC athletes will also have access to a new UFC Whereabouts Platform to record their expected locations so they can easily be contacted for testing.
You can see the full details about the new UFC Anti-Doping Policy here.
As for McGregor, on Sunday he announced that he will take on Michael Chandler at the end of International Fight Week in Las Vegas. He said the event will take place on June 29. However, the UFC hasn't confirmed the date or the fight. Channel 13 has reached out to UFC for more information.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 31, 2023
