Fertitta/White outline new policy on drug testing
The UFC today announced a major new drug-testing policy, and the potential punishments handed down to those athletes who fail.
UFC® CHAIRMAN AND CEO LORENZO FERTITTA AND PRESIDENT DANA WHITE TO HOLD MEDIA EVENT
Wednesday, Feb. 18 – 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
Las Vegas – UFC® Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White will hold a media event on Wed., Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. The event will take place at Red Rock Casino Resort and will also be streamed live on UFC.com. This event is closed to the public.
WHO: LORENZO FERTITTA – UFC Chairman and CEO
DANA WHITE – UFC President
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET
WHERE: Pavilion Ballroom
Red Rock Casino Resort
For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com.
1:05 PM: Lorenzo Fertitta begins press conference by outlining exactly how the press event will proceed.
Fertitta reads a prepared statement outlining their history with PEDs. Fertitta iterates that fighter safety is their number one concern. Ferttita details history of how they helped build the foundation for the regulation of MMA.
1:09 PM: Lorenzo Fertitta: We can do better. Today the UFC hopes to be a leader in professional sports.
1:10 PM: Dana White clarifies a few of the recent issues including Jon Jones series of events, when he was tested for performance enhancing drugs and recreational drugs. He also explains the difference between in competition and out of competition testing. White also explained that Jones was fined $25,000 which was donated to charity.
White next explained the series of events of Anderson Silva’s drug test. The collection date was 1/9/2015, date received on was report 2/3/2015. White is adamant that the Nevada commission nor the UFC would ever allow a fighter to compete if they were aware of a positive drug test for PEDs.
White also explained that Silva failed his post fight drug test.
1:15 PM: White next explained the series of events regarding Hector Lombard. Lombard failed a post fight drug test, but the UFC did not announce the results as it was done by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
1:18 PM: Lorenzo Fertita goes over some statistics about PED testing. He says that the UFC will want every single fight on every card tested in competition and will help subsidize the cost. They also want every main event athlete to be subject to out of competition testing.
The UFC will also implement a random drug testing protocol for all athletes on it’s roster, under WADA standing. The UFC has committed several million dollars for in and out of competition and random drug testing.
Fertitta next stated that they are advocating for harsher penalties by the commissions and will absolutely support it.
1:24 PM: Fertitta opens the floor for questions.
The UFC today announced a major new drug-testing policy, and the potential punishments handed down to those athletes who fail.
UFC President Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, along with COO Lawrence Epstein, detailed the new policies during a news conference at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas. The changes come on the heels of a spate of high-profile drug test failures, including by champions and former champions.
Effective July 1, all UFC fighters – approximately 585, per the UFC’s current count – will be subject to random performance-enhancing drug testing. The UFC also is advocating for longer suspensions and harsher penalties administered by state athletic commissions.