Earlier today, the Nevada State Athletic Commission motioned to ban the practice of issuing therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) for the often questioned testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in the state, which would impact many notable fighters in the UFC.
The UFC supported the decision and issued the following statement:
“The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling.”
Earlier in the week, MMA and athletic commissions came under fire after ESPN issued an eye-opening report of the number of TRT users in MMA, most notably, UFC fighter Vitor Belfort. Belfort is currently scheduled to challenge the current middle-weight champion, Chris Weidman, at UFC 173 in May. What’s important about that event is that it is currently scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, where TRT is now not allowed.
Belfort is not alone in requesting and being granted TRT exceptions in Nevada. Other notable UFC fighters that have receiced TUEs for TRT include Dan Henderson (who fights in Brazil in less than a month and was planning on receiving a TRT exception), Shane Roller, Todd Duffee, Chael Sonnen (fights in Brazil in the Summer), Frank Mir and Forrest Griffin.
Payout Perspective:
It was a good day today to establish some credibility in MMA and the athletic commissions regarding performance enhancing drugs and cheaters in the sport. The ban of TRT exceptions was a move that was long-awaited by many fans and that had become a heated debate due to prominent UFC fighters fighting outside of the USA who were previously revealed as TRT users. The notion of a TUE for TRT has always been labeled as “legal cheating” by everyone in the sport, but the UFC never banned the treatment from competition due to being regulated by NSAC’s who allowed it.
This is a big first step, though definitely not the last. Obviously more needs to be done on this front, including enhancing the advanced testing and the out of competition testing performed by certain commissions. The issue here becomes getting enough funding to support such plans. Hopefully in the near future, a solution can be found to solve most of MMA’s problems, but at least for now, we have removed what had become a hot trend for fighters to “legally cheat”. It will be interesting to see if a fighter will challenge such a bold ruling in court, but at least for now we can breathe a little easier on what appeared to be a TRT epidemic in MMA.
just a side-idea: no TRT in the future IMHO means some problems also for some MMA-Websites as almost every second article has got sth to do with TRT, complaining here, and sensationalizing there. It was always a safe go-to topic for lame news days. I’m glad that hopefully this will be over at least.
No TUEs doesn’t mean TRT goes away, just that they need to be more diligent in hiding their use.
I actually like fighters using TRT, reminds me of the old days of college football when every player at the U was roided out and played with reckless abandon. It was fun to watch. But it is a new world now.