Getting Caught Using

It is crazy to think that having great technique is not enough to get the KO in MMA now-a-days. Nate Diaz has come out and say that all fighters are on steroids. To be honest what a scary situation to be in, to know that a fighter who trains for three months for the fight of their life only to fight a person who has been training and using PEDs in their time. Now, there are numerous things that could happen in a fight, anything is on the table, up to death. People are gaining an unfair advantage in their fights. There were questions about a fighter a few years ago, Shane Carwin was questioned about his fights, did he use steroids? He retired before the new drug policy came into play, but there are still the fear that people fought him while he was using.

USADA has been flagging fighters left and right recently, UFC 200 has now shown us two fighters who were flagged alone. Jon Jones was test in Mid-June, and Brock Lesnar was tested June 28th. Both fighters have been flagged for using some sort of PED or masking agent and are being pushed for 2 year bans on both fighters. Chad Mendes is also on the list of athletes who were flagged by the USADA is facing a potential 2 year ban, Lyoto Machida, BJ Penn (who is serving a 6 month bann after using an IV). To me its wild to think athletes would like to use to keep that competitive advantage. 

Guys like Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, and Randy Couture were never investigated for using, nor did they need to be. They constantly were training focusing on their technique to give themselves their selves that advantage. 

You have to question the past victories for some of the fighters who have recently been fighting. Sure the last time we saw Brock Lesnar in the Octagon prior to his (Tainted) win over Mark Hunt, he lost to Alistar Overeem (who later was found to be using PEDs, and served a one year ban). I wonder how long Brock was using prior to getting caught by the USADA, especially when he was so quick to throw Jon Jones under discussing how unprofessional it is for him to be using. 

Speaking of Jon "Bones" Jones, he was tested sometime in Mid-June and he popped up for a higher level of estrogen, what is crazy is why does he need to use. I remember in an interview he thought it was a great idea for fighters to be tested. He understood, he was not a spring chicken himself, but for him to be using makes him a hypocrite. This is a man who wanted to be a role model for kids but recently with the cocaine use, talking back to police officers, and now the PED accusation, this is not someone who should be a role model. I remember the Jon Jones who the same day he won the championship, he had stopped a car thief. That is the kind of person I would like to see again, but now I have to question the athlete that was before the suspension, did he cheat in his win versus OSP?

 
There are so many fighters who have been flagged the USADA:

Chad Mendes:

Lyoto Machida:

Frank Mir (who recently asked for his release from the UFC):

It is crazy to think, we are now getting to the point in the UFC where fighters are being tested out of competition finally. I think the UFC was behind the ball on this issue, and probably should have been testing athletes from the jump. Back in the day fighters in the first few UFCs understood they were testing their abilities against each other, but it seems that the spirit of the competition has fallen and fighters were looking for anyway possible to be the best.

Things will get back to the way they were prior to fighters using PEDs, as far as fighters who get caught, I personally am looking to see those fighters get the max penalty thrown at them. What are your thoughts on it?

Also, do miss out on another blogger, who has done amazing things in the marine mammal world. Go read Cat's blog she has done amazing things in the field www.themiddleflipper.blogspot.com, I have been reading her articles for a few weeks now, great humor and amazing topics.

Till next week y'all.