In light of the Holly Holm victory over Ronda Rousey on Saturday, one of Holm’s sponsors, Intel Pharma wished her congratulations. The company sells supplements containing substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and federal law.
According to MMA Junkie, the company has offered products it claims contain prohormones and a steroid alternative known as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMS). It appears on the WADA banned substance list.Anti-doping experts have sounded off against this business relationship as not looking good for the new champion. Holm’s manager, Lenny Fresquez, indicated that they were aware that the company sold products containing banned substance prior to signing the sponsorship deal. “Holly didn’t really use them so it’s not a big deal,” Fresquez told USA Today, “I’m sure she didn’t use any of them. She might have taken a picture with one.”
Fresquez indicated that the sponsorship deal was for just one-fight and they have not decided whether to extend the deal.
Intel Pharma CEO, Landon Suggs, stated that his company stopped producing and selling products with SARMs “no later than June” before the sponsorship deal with Holm. Suggs stated that it issued a recall for the products as well.
The company also updated its Facebook page on November 17th congratulating Holm. It had not updated the page since October 9th.
We, at Intel-Pharma, wanted to create an innovative supplement company that customers could trust to provide the best products and personal service in the industry. As a new company we have learned hard lessons along the way, but those same lessons have reinforced our initial stated mission, which is to be the most innovative sports supplement brand on the market. Long before UFC 193 was announced we were interested in partnering with Holly Holm’s to be one of our featured athletes because she shares our values of faith, family and hard work. That hard work is what was on display Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. There is no other “secret” to Holly’s success other than that hard work, along with an incredible team of coaches, sparring partners, family support, and just plain crazy athleticism. As unbelievable as it may have seemed to the greater population at large, Holly’s success was not a shock to those of us who knew of her talent long before Saturday. And we couldn’t be more thrilled for her that the world now knows what we always believed.
Payout Perspective:
One would think that Holm will not continue the relationship with Intel Pharma since winning the women’s title from Rousey. Certainly, her win should open up more doors for sponsor opportunities. Also, the price for her name probably went up with the win. Her accomplishment should not be sullied by this association despite how innocuous it might be. The fact is that the company is associated with banned substances that Holm, as champion, should not be associated with even if Holm never took the product.
She’s juicing. It’s pretty obvious.
a win is a win d, don’t have to be juicing to know rousey looked like an amateur out there.
Holm team is not that dumb….ronda got beat…beat really bad ..
A win is a win……. as long as you don’t get caught.
Did she fail a drug test? Ufc pr placing malice on holm win…hahahaha…theyre primary hype product just got destroyed….if holm tests positive then talk….as of now ex boxing champ beat the once ever greatest female athlete
Boxer dominants mma fighter and mma fans can’t take it.
Dana White looked defeated when they interviewed him after the fight. What a loser
The last thing on Earth White wants to deal with is another steroid blowup. If anything he would help cover it up. Holm clearly cheated, but if you don’t get caught, it is a win.
Holm was an ex boxing champ, who is a present mma champ. She was also an ex kickboxer who became a boxing champ. So I guess the boxing promoters must have been embarrassed that their champs lost to an ex kickboxer. Haha.
Boxers have had a long history of dominating in mma like for example James Toney, Art Jimmerson, and Melton Bowen, the only 3 pro boxers who have tried mma. Boxing fanatics sure do have a point. Haha.
You still have Art’s glove framed?
Also, the testing for fights abroad are a joke and everyone knows it. I do not believe she was even blood tested. She’s on that Jon Jones diet- you see his latest pictures? He must be on some serious Wheaties. Haha.
Nowadays everyone is on something but it’s just that the business people running the show will give a pass to their cashcows and once these cashcows have been milked dry and become useless, the fastest way to get rid of them is to let them fail a drug test.
I’m so disgusted by the way some obvious steroids users get so much preferential treatment.
As far as I’m concerned, the UFC has absolutely no moral right to accuse anyone of using steroids.
Hahahaha….will ufc’s 14 year old girl demo or rousey demo be back to watch?or will they be over rousey after she got dominated beat up and knocked out?ufc made her into a sort of super hero for 14 or younger girls.. Ex. That corny holloween ad…
Haha. Tops is self destructing again. Just shows his frustration from the UFC’s success.