Blood test snafu in Brazil illustrates PED testing challenges
Andre Pederneiras: “Aldo had already done the test, it was in the cup. But when the Brazilian commission arrived, they saw that the sample wasn’t collected as it should.”
When the costs of random, comprehensive, out of competition testing was estimated at $45,000, many fans reacted with disbelief. So did UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.
A recent episode in Brazil illustrates some of the difficulties. As reported originally by Globo’s SporTV, Ben Mosier from Drug Free Sport lab went to Nova Uniao in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to randomly test UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and collected a sample.
However, Aldo’s coach, the great Andre Pederneiras, was suspicious, and called the regulating body for MMA in Brazil, the Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA) for confirmation that it was legit. CABMMA had no information about the test.
CABMMA COO Cristiano Sampaio then contacted the Brazilian federal police. The Federal Police are constitutionally mandated in Brazil, and are akin to the FBI. Agents came to Nova Uniao, and met with the fighter and his coach, as well as Mr. Mosier.
The police determined that although Mosier was working at the behest of the Nevada Athletic Commission, he was not licensed to work in Brazil. Mosier was fined $130 and given eight days to leave the country.
“We did everything they asked,” said Pederneiras, as transcribed by Guilherme Cruz for MMAFighting.com. “Before this whole mess started, Aldo had already done the test, (his urine) was in the cup. But when the Brazilian commission arrived, they saw that the sample wasn’t collected as it should.”
Aldo’s urine sample was discarded, and he will be tested again tomorrow, by CABMMA. The fighter was not flustered by the confusion.
“That’s normal,” said Aldo. “We reached a point in this sport that not only me, but every fighter has to go through this. This is my first time in Brazil. I think the Brazilian commission should be the one handling this, for the fact that I live here. But that’s not an issue. It’s nothing for me. Fight, pee, it’s the same thing to me.”
Jose Aldo,fights Conor McGregor at UFC 189, July 11, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.