Game Change: Drug Testing gets Serious
Last week, news broke that will change the sports of MMA and boxing forever, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved new strict guidelines and harsh punishments for drug offenses.
The new rules go into effect on September 1st, 2015. The Commission does random drug testing year round, and if you test positive for the following drugs you will receive the corresponding penalties. Sedatives, Muscle Relaxants, Sleep Aids, Anxiolytics, Opates, Cannabis:
Diuretics Used To Cut Weight
Stimulants (amphetamines, cocaine, etc)
Anabolic Steroids (testosterone, HGH)
If you see the tester coming and run, they will punish you even worst!!! Avoiding Testing/Detection/Urine sample not of human origin or not of tested athlete, adulterants, drugs (incl. diuretics) used as masking agents
So what does it all mean? For a run of the mill PED violation, a fighter competing in Nevada would be gone for three years minimum, which is a big part of their career and in some cases, the end of their career depending on the age of the fighter. The NSAC also said they would reach out to other commissions and recommend they adapt the same policy. This is a huge story that will change the sport forever. I know some might be saying good, this is the right thing to do. And on the surface, I agree. But as a fan, I am terrified that some of my favorite fighters will never fight again. This could cripple the sport if the wrong guys are caught. And I'm not talking about steroids. People take things that help them cut weight. Guys smoke weed in their spare time. It happens. Guys have a hard time sleeping so they may take a sleeping pill. That's life. But you do any of these things, even if you are out of competition and don't have a fight coming up, and you can be suspended for 18 months to 2 years. Wow. Bottom line, guys better get their stuff together quick. There will be lots of injuries next year as guys who try to get off stuff will still train the same way they are used to, and it will be interesting to see the fight quality especially in fighters over 30 where cutting out PED's will probably have the biggest effect. The threshold for a marijuana positive is pretty high. While the penalty is high, you pretty much have to use in heavy amounts a few days before or you will not test positive. Heavy use the night before should get you just above allowable limits so being overly cautious, stop a week ahead. If you can't do that when you know the rules, you have a pretty big problem. Make no bones about it, this will definitely change the game. |