UFC Announces An Agreement With Drug Free Sport International

November 15, 2023
2 years

In today’s MMA news, The UFC has moved on from USADA after the latter decided to part ways.

USADA will no longer be responsible for monitoring drug testing in the sport after 2023. This came after their CEO, Travis Tygart, expressed concerns that the UFC may not have been giving them full support.

This was in reference to Conor McGregor’s recent enrolment into USADA. The organization requires that athletes provide two negative samples within a six-month block in order to be able to compete. But when it came to McGregor, things were not so smooth sailing.

USADA Leaves

“We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months. Despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, the UFC did an about-face and informed USADA on Monday, October 9, that it was going in a different direction.
“We are disappointed for UFC athletes….The relationship between USADA and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months,” USADA said
That naturally left the UFC with the need to find a new organization. The MMA organization could have gone with VADA, which is known for being the ‘gold standard.’ And it has largely been used in boxing’s biggest fights.
Although that may have been the case, White did suggest that an independent contractor would be used. And that has now come to a head with the news that Drug Free Sport International will take control over drug testing in 2024.
The news was confirmed by Hunter Campbell, who happens to be the UFC’s executive vice president and chief business officer, and Jeff Novitsky (senior vice president of athlete health and performance) who stated the following. 

 

UFC’s Response

“We didn’t terminate the USADA partnership. We just informed them that we wouldn’t be renewing and that we would be building out a new program at the beginning of the year. So, the testing continues, everything is status quo through the end of the year until something happens otherwise, I don’t know. It’s going to be a complicated relationship for the next few months. Conor (McGregor) is 100 percent in the pool,” Campbell

Ultimately, if the new move can result in more athlethes being held to account, then that can only be a good thing moving forward.

However, in order to do that, the drug testing agency must be allowed to operate in an unrestricted place. And given the comments that were coming out of USADA, that did not appear to be the case.

So ultimately, moving forward, there does need to be some changes. But whether the changes end up benefiting MMA fighters is anyone’s guess. Time will tell how it all plays out. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingblitz.

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