USADA will now not be concerned with UFC’s Anti-Doping Program.
The corporate went into detail in an announcement Wednesday explaining why it will now not be related to this system starting on January 1, 2024. After confirming that Conor McGregor had re-entered the UFC drug testing pool on October 8, USADA claimed that regardless of a optimistic contract renewal assembly in Could, UFC did “an about-face” and knowledgeable them they might not be renewing their contract with USADA on October 9, with the UFC saying they might be entering into “a distinct path.”
USADA additionally stated of their assertion that the connection between itself and UFC had change into “untenable” given feedback made by “UFC leaders and others” questioning “USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to battle with out being within the testing pool for no less than six months.”
The total assertion may be learn beneath:
We will affirm that Conor McGregor has re- entered the USADA testing pool as of Sunday, October 8, 2023. We’ve been clear and agency with the UFC that there must be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to battle till he has returned two destructive checks and been within the pool for no less than six months. The foundations additionally permit USADA to maintain somebody within the testing pool longer earlier than competing based mostly on their declarations upon entry within the pool and testing outcomes.
Sadly, we don’t presently know whether or not the UFC will in the end honor the six-month or longer requirement as a result of, as of January 1, 2024, USADA will now not be concerned with the UFC Anti-Doping Program. Regardless of a optimistic and productive assembly a few contract renewal in Could 2023, the UFC did an about-face and knowledgeable USADA on Monday, October 9, that it was entering into a distinct path.
We’re upset for UFC athletes, who’re impartial contractors who depend on our impartial, gold-standard international program to guard their rights to a clear, protected, and truthful Octagon. The UFC’s transfer imperils the immense progress made inside the sport below USADA’s management.
The connection between USADA and UFC turned untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to battle with out being within the testing pool for no less than six months. One UFC commentator echoed this, just lately declaring that USADA shouldn’t oversee the UFC program since we held agency to the six-month rule involving McGregor, and since we don’t permit fighters with out an accredited medical foundation to make use of performance-enhancing medicine like experimental, unapproved peptides or testosterone for therapeutic or accidents merely to get again within the Octagon.
Fighters long-term well being and security – along with a good and stage enjoying discipline – are extra necessary to USADA than short-term earnings on the expense of unpolluted athletes. USADA is pleased with the work we have accomplished over the previous eight years to scrub up the UFC, and we are going to proceed to supply our unparalleled service to UFC athletes via the rest of our present contract, which ends December 31, 2023. As at all times, we are going to proceed to uphold the rights and voices of unpolluted athletes in all sport.”
Conor McGregor has not fought within the UFC since a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, the place he broke his tibia within the battle. He has since coached a season of the Final Fighter towards Michael Chandler.
Information Abstract:
- USADA to depart UFC Anti-Doping Program in 2024
- Verify all information and articles from the most recent Cricket updates.