MMA Fighting reports that Bellator NYC main event participants Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva will undergo drug testing prior to their matchup on June 24th. The drug tests, which have already taken place, will be conducted by an independent third party and will be paid by each athlete.
The New York State Department of State confirmed that each athlete will pay for the costs of the tests. No mention of the third-party agency that will administer the tests and the nature of the tests or how many. Scott Coker stated that the results of the tests are expected to return before the bout.
Both Sonnen and Silva have had drug suspensions related to Performance Enhancing Drugs which is the likely reason for the extra emphasis on the main event.
According to the MMA Fighting report, Sonnen was tested four times prior to his fight against Tito Ortiz in California. It will Silva’s first fight since he was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. His last fight was in 2013 in Japan.
Payout Perspective:
Drug testing validates the main event and it should be something the promotion should look to do in the future. For those skeptical about the fight, the drug tests attempt to ensure that both fighters are clean. Certainly, drug testing for Bellator athletes is a good idea and makes sense for these two.
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