UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta

By FCF Staff

In the wake of Cung Le’s recent suspension, after testing positive for human growth hormone, the issue of performance enhancing drugs is once again making headlines throughout MMA. In recent weeks, the UFC has announced it will be taking additional steps to curb the use of PEDs, and the promotion’s CEO Lorenzo Fertitta has expanded on how.

While appearing on the latest episode of “UFC Tonight”, here is what Fertitta had to say about the issue (quote via FOX Sports 1 press release):

“Actually it’s becoming less of a problem. We’ve stepped up our game testing. For the athletes, there’s nowhere else to hide. Now, we’re testing all guys on a card. It used to be random testing for a few guys on the card. The next step is to random test all 500 athletes, several times a year. We’re sending a message: if you’re cheating, you’ll get caught, suspended and fined. We want the sport to be clean.”

For some time, the UFC and its president Dana White, argued that drug testing was the responsibility of athletic commissions. The promotion has had to oversee its own drug testing in jurisdictions without regulatory bodies, however, and the UFC has also faced increasing pressure to enhance its PED monitoring.

As a result, the UFC announced plans for random drug testing this past summer, which is widely viewed as key to reduce the use of PEDs.