Too soon?
This past month we’ve seen the number of PED (performance enhancing drug) busts go up dramatically. In what seems to be the new trend in modern fighting, PED users in MMA are no longer the odd few, more so the bigger names in the sport. Anderson Silva is perhaps the biggest name amongst the PED users in MMA history, but Hector Lombard was about to fight for a title shot, and then of course Jon Fitch used to be the number one welterweight.
I could go on hyperlinking failed drug tests all day, so just click here for a comprehensive list of PED users in MMA. We debated how the UFC needs to take a stronger stance against fighters who fail drug tests, but how exactly will they, or the commissions for that matter, implement this?
Well the mandatory suspension of nine months doesn’t seem to be enough of a deterrent, nor does the fine for failed drug tests which can range from $2,500-$25,000 (dependent on whether you got busted during a stint as the greatest light-heavyweight of all time, or not). Wanderlei Silva didn’t fail, rather fled a NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission) dope test and faced heftier sentences, including a lifetime ban and $70K fine.
So does there need to be a stronger mandatory punishment in place, to act as a prevention tool for fighters considering using PEDs? Perhaps that, along side the more stringent testing will allow for a cleaner sport? There are many options, including instant lifetime bans, bigger fines and longer bans, or they could just stick to the old way of doing things.
Either that, or they could legalize steroids in MMA. That’s quite an extreme view, not one that many would subscribe to, but we’ve often heard of creating a ‘steroid league’ of fighters, and a clean one.
What do you think PED users in MMA should be punished with when caught?
