New UFC PED program to start July 1 with up to 4 year suspension for 1st failure
The UFC announced a mutli million dollar “Athlete Health and Performance Program” today with PED testing, career-services, and a training and rehabilitation center.
$#!^ just got real.
During a press conference that streamed live on The UnderGround at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) the UFC announced a massive new PED testing program by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). USADA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, recognized by the U.S. Congress as “the official anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sport in the United States.” USADA is a signatory to, and responsible for implementation in the USA of World Anti-Doping Code, the basis for the strongest and strictest anti-doping programs in sports.
The new program, which starts July 1, has at least 2.750 overall drug tests per year, and has severe punishments, including up to four years suspension for a first offense. The program will be overseen by UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky, as part of the UFC’s Athlete Marketing and Development Program.
Steven Marrocco has the story for MMAjunkie.
The UFC has taken a bold and courageous leap forward for the good of its athletes in developing a comprehensive and cutting-edge anti-doping policy expressly modeled on the key elements of the WADA Anti-Doping Program and by having it run by an independent and transparent national anti-doping organization, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a prepared statement. USADA looks forward to supporting clean athletes in this sport, as in all sport, to achieve success on the playing field fairly and safely.
Key to the program’s intent of deterring UFC fighters from using banned substances is a schedule of administrative punishments for drug offenses, which are separated by specified substances such as steroids, human growth-hormone, and blood dopers; and non-specified substances such as marijuana, cocaine and other drugs of abuse.
Punishments for specified substances include:
•First offense: Two years with the possibility of two additional years for aggravating circumstances, which include previous drug failures, egregious intent, conspiracy with others, multiple substances, and other factors
•Second offense: double the sanction of first offense
•Third offense: double sanction of second offense
Punishments for non-specified substances include:
•First offense: One year with the possibility of two additional years for aggravating circumstances, which include previous drug failures, egregious intent, conspiracy with others, multiple substances, and other factors
•Second offense: double the sanction of first offense
•Third offense: double sanction of second offense
Also, a fighter found to have failed a drug test post-fight will be subject to disqualification, forfeiture of title and rankings, and purse fines. All fines collected will go toward funding of the anti-doping program and education efforts.
A whistleblower line will also be made available to fighters, Tygart said, which will encourage those with information on doping to come forward.
Tygart promised complete transparency from USADA in the results management of testing and said the agency has complete autonomy from the UFC in its administration of the program.
And there is more. John Morgan has the story for MMAjunkie.
The expanded drug testing is just one part of an ambitious initiative the UFC has dubbed its Athlete Health and Performance Program. According to UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein, the promotion will spend millions of dollars in hopes of improved training methods and output from the 600-plus fighters on its roster.
Included in the new program, which newly hired UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky will oversee, are partnerships with self-described human-performance company Fusionetics, as well as training, nutrition and physical therapy specialists EXOS.
Epstein and other company executives visited elite training centers around the world – including major sports franchises in the U.S., as well as English soccer powerhouse Manchester City Football Club – while developing the new program. Epstein said the promotion noted the best practices being used in those sports and developed a program it believes can benefit UFC athletes in a similar fashion.
An additional aspect of the still-developing program also includes the help of a career-services organization, according to UFC Vice President of Public Relations Dave Sholler, who said the company is actively seeking potential partners in that field.
Finally, UFC officials will also open a full-time training and rehabilitation center as part of a new corporate headquarters that is slated to open next year in Las Vegas.
Epstein hopes the multi-tiered approach to fighter health will ultimately result in less injuries and better overall fighter development as the promotion focuses on its global-growth efforts.