In the past, MMA fighters can get away with using performance-enhancing drugs but those with untraceable substances so they will not fail the drug tests. However, with the recent updates on drug testings, the promotion’s chief anti-doping advocate says that it will finally be possible for these untraceable substances to be detected- even years after they have stopped using.
In a nutshell, blood and urine samples from fights can be kept frozen in laboratories that are accredited in WADA, or the World Anti-Doping Agency. These frozen samples can be tested again for possible use of new PEDs, meaning, those MMA fighters who passed the drug tests previously are now at risk of failing the routine drug tests years after a specific fight.
“Even if there’s a new drug out there that scientists are saying there’s no test for, potentially, a couple of years down the line when there’s a test for it, we’d have the ability to test for that. Now, maybe that athlete’s no longer with the UFC or no longer competing, but there’s legacy and reputation at stake,” Novitzky said.
Novitzky has a lot on his plate right now. He is also connected with the USADA, or the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and is working hand-in-hand with the agency in overseeing the drug tests being done to the fighters. USADA is authorized to keep and preserve samples but in order for them to do such thing, the agency needs to abide with the strict guidelines that were made by the WADA.
According to Novitzky, those who are included in this program would be all of the UFC athletes, and the USADA is legally allowed to conduct tests in accordance to the policy without athletic commissions.
Novitzky has specified a certain sport that can be used perfectly as a model for this kind of drug re-testing and preserving which will be implemented in the new drug-testing technology- professional cycling. It has been known that Lance Armstrong, one of the best cyclists in the history of the sport, had been caught using banned substances even though he had used these drugs years ago and he had passed the drug tests done to him during the competition. Just recently, another athlete had tested positive for presence of EPO, or erythropoietin, in his system. This retesting used a sample that was taken back in 2012. Giampaolo Caruso’s sample was reanalyzed because there have been significant developments in the drug testing process. A statement from the UCI has confirmed that samples can be stored for up to 10 years.
With this newest program and drug testing method, Novitzky revealed that it will significantly speed up the drug testing process, and will be more efficient in making sure athletes are abiding by the policies. Athletes who are violating the drug policies, on the other hand, are getting creative into trying to get away with using testosterone before the fight. Novitzky said that some athletes are now using micro-doses of quick-acting testosterones.
With these newest technologies, it may have a big impact on screening MMA fighters who are using banned substances. However, Novitzky admitted that they are still in the process of finding out the depth of illegal drug use in the UFC.