IMO I am with Louise Simmons in that it is not illegal to take PEDs, it is illegal to get caught taking PEDs.
The cat and mouse game is part of high level sports. It does a good job of keeping things from being completely insane drug wise.
But when you piss hot you lose, end of story.

I mean the idea a 38yo Olympic level wrestler is "natural" is just absurd but he did what he had to do and pissed clean.

There are undetectable PED's, and ways to mask detectable PEDs

Phil Beroni was quoted today saying everyone thought the reason the Pride guys all lost when they came to the UFC was that they were no longer taking PED. The real reason is they thought no one was taking them in the UFC so they quit taking them and ALL the UFC guys are on them. Then he said he knows this is true because he knows all the guys.

The testing agencies and commissions try their best but it's really hard to catch these guys unless they're sloppy. Testing is someone of a fool's errand and that's why the commissions really go after guys who make them look bad.

Steroids help you on both fight night if taken + during camp to train harder and even for recovery so the fighters have all the incentive in the world to take them. The thing is that alot of the roster was dropping like flies when the UFC's new USADA regime kicked in, it wasn't just small fries getting busted, the small fries like Eric Silva just started to shrink and lose. The middling guys like Chris Weidman and Dos Anjos who never popped went from looking like unstoppable forces to top 10 guys. Then guys like A.Silva, Jon Jones etc who are the top end guys get busted and have to serve suspensions, USADA has shown that they don't discriminate in the UFC & since its inception i can't think of one guy who's clearly on steroids who have beaten all the test.

Remember USADA doesn't just test whether a certain steroid is in your system, they're testing your TE ratios, gluck getting a steroid which mask these levels while still raising it to give you the benefits, not even possible tbh.

Is there a rule about TE levels though?

And as far as clear users who have beaten the tests; Romero, jones previously, Anthony Johnson who again pretty much confessed on camera. I mean I get your point about a lot of the guys who fell off hard after usada, but that could be a function of the most blatant use of the most effective drugs being traded for more careful use of the less effective and less detectable drugs.

Anyway, I now invoke the Nate Diaz gambit. "Everyone is on steroids." Check mate.

Most fighters used to be on steroids pre USADA- yes

Since USADA most fighters aren't on steroids- yes

Since USADA some dumb fighters are still roiding- yes & either have gotten caught already or will soon

Is USADA good for the ufc? - not sure, i really want to see ubereem back in the octagon that's for damn sure.

-yes
- Fewer maybe but I think most are at some level of usage even if it is dampened.
-good for the UFC? No way shape or form I can tell unless it was going to get them kept out of NY or taken out of some markets or something. More cards ruined by training injures, bad weight cuts, no IVs, scandals, suspensions...it's shambles. And the health of the fighter pearl clutching narrative is pure hypocrisy with the other disasterous consequences of the concussions and cutting. I don't claim to understand what pressures caused the change, but I have heard anicdotes of college wrestlers being told by UFC scouts to cycle to gain weight that are from reputable sources for me.

What is the good about it besides the pipe dream that it will even the playing field for the clean fighters?

it's a level playing field right now since pretty much everyone is taking something

it's never been a true level playing field since the beginning of time though, people cheated way back in ancient Greek Olympics, drank strychnine solution ftw during early 1900s etc

humans gonna human

Conor probably on steroids. Ronda was probably on steroids.

My seat for the fight.

Pretty sick view. Gonna be one of your most wild work nights?

Should be. Hope it isn't a first round knockout. The atmosphere around the arena is electric.

Well, you hope it's not a Floyd 1st rd KO; I would imagine.

This is never ever happening. He has to carry the fraud for a few rounds to legitimize the farce. A KO by MW between rounds 5 and 7 sounds about right.

In MMA news, #StillSalty



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Looking at UFC 217, think I'm going to have to order that card.

Bisping vs GSP
Garbrandt vs Dillishaw

and then Stephen Thompson opens the card as well

Cody no love vs tj is enough for me, the rest is just icing on the cake, will be best fight of the year imo, two of the best in the business in their prime, doesn't get better than that.

I want to see the Bisping GSP fight, and the aftermath is gonna be GLORIOUS.

Bisping wins.
Tyron Woodley gets up to the cage.
Champ vs Champ fight at 185.

Bisping honeydicks the rest of his division AGAIN.
The butthurt will be unreal.

If they do that to Whittaker that would be awful, really hope they convince nick diaz to come back to fight woodley, wana see my boy come back in the game.

Nick is in trouble with USADA.

Again ?

I think he has not recieved his punishment for the whereabouts failures yet.

you mean for marijuana?
if my memory is correct is fine was reduced and his sentence was serve a long time ago now...

No, for not reporting his location to USADA

Hope they just sweep that under the carpet & let him fight Tyron for the title, Tyron doesn't even have an opponent, could careless about lawler vs woodley 2 after 1 win from lawler.