Tag: USADA

UFC suspends ‘Russian Ronda’ Irina Alekseeva for testosterone; indicates USADA bungled handling

The UFC calls former partner USADA’s handling of a 2023 situation “unacceptable.”

Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) has suspended “Russian Ronda” [autotag]Irina Alekseeva[/autotag] for 12 months for elevated levels of testosterone consistent with exogenous administration.

According to the UFC, however, former anti-doping partner USADA handled the matter in an “unacceptable” manner that resulted in layers of confusion.

The positive drug test sample was collected over one year ago on June 21, 2023, while USADA was still overseeing drug testing.

The UFC said Friday that USADA did not notify Alekseeva of the failure for over four months after the sample was collected. Alekseeva was eventually notified on Oct. 31, but not before she competed against Melissa Mullins on Oct. 14. Alekseeva lost the bout by unanimous decision.

“While CSAD was not the independent administrator of the UFC ADP during the above-described time period, CSAD recognizes the importance of promptly reporting results on samples collected in the months and weeks leading up to a UFC event BEFORE the event takes place,” the organization said Friday. “CSAD also recognizes that positive results reported out more than 4-months after a sample is collected, and where the athlete is allowed to compete in a UFC bout in the interim, is unacceptable.”

Due to the unusual nature of the case, Alekseeva’s cooperation, passing three drug tests before the failure, and passing three drug tests between the failure and notification, CSAD lowered the fighter’s perceived level of fault.

Alekseeva will be suspended until Oct. 15, 2024, one year retroactive to the day after her fight. CSAD said this date was chosen as it is the one-year mark of Alekseeva truly being inactive, as she competed Oct. 14, 2023.

“Under the UFC Anti-Doping Program, CSAD, in its sole discretion may suspend all or any part of ineligibility and other consequences imposed in an individual case in which it has results management authority where the athlete has provided full and complete cooperation, where the athlete did not intend to enhance their performance and has provided full, prompt and truthful responses and information,” CSAD said. “CSAD has determined that Alekseeva’s efforts and the evidence of this case, fits these criteria, and thus CSAD is reducing the sanction against her to 12-months.”

Since the failure came in the lead up to a bout in Las Vegas, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) may take additional action. Alekseeva has not yet been on the agenda at monthly commission meetings, but could be July 30, when the next one takes place.

Alekseeva nor her team have commented on the matter publicly.

MMA Junkie has reached out to USADA for comment. The story will be updated to reflect comment should it be received.

Video: Is the UFC’s post-USADA anti-doping program better for fighters?

With full details revealed, our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the expectations for the new UFC anti-doping program.

Details surrounding the UFC’s new anti-doping program have been revealed.

The promotion has cut ties with U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and rolled out a new program with testing to be handled by Drug Free Sport International. Administration and sanctioning will be overseen independently by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), headed by president George Piro.

On the surface, there appear to be many similarities between the two programs. Fighters will still be expected to keep up with quarterly whereabouts and they will be subject to unannounced sample collection at anytime, anyplace. There have been modifications to the prohibited substance list, such as the removal of marijuana.

While it may be hard to gauge until the fighters have experienced it, do we think the new program be better? Will the changes make a significant difference?

That’s what we asked our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura, who tackled the topic with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Check out their conversation above, and don’t miss this week’s full episode below.

 

2023 year in review video: UFC drops drug testing partner USADA

After a near-decade partnership, the UFC decided to cut ties with USADA and go in a different direction for drug testing.

With 2023 coming to a close, “Spinning Back Clique” looked back at the biggest stories of the year in mixed martial arts.

On this week’s year-in-review episode, our panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed the UFC ending its partnership with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

A business relationship that began in 2015 officially ends in January, as the UFC will partner with Drug Free Sport International to run its athlete anti-doping program. UFC executive vice president and chief business officer Hunter Campbell and senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitsky announced the news of the change at a press conference after USADA CEO described the relationship between the two parties as “untenable.”

Was the USADA experiment worth it? Will the new-look anti-doping program be better for the athletes?

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You can watch their discussion with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia in the video above, and check out the full episode below.

 

New UFC anti-doping policy details annouced, program to begin Dec. 31

The UFC is beginning a new athlete anti-doping policy in 2024, and has announced details about the program.

The UFC has announced details of its new anti-doping program that will officially begin Dec. 31.

After a partnership with U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that began in 2015 soured, the promotion decided to cut ties and begin a new UFC anti-doping policy (UFC ADP).

According to a statement released Thursday by the promotion, sample collection will be conducted by Drug Free Sport International, with administration and sanctioning to be overseen independently by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), headed by president George Piro.

“UFC’s goal for the Anti-Doping Policy is to be the best, most effective, and most progressive anti-doping program in all of professional sports,” UFC chief business offer Hunter Campbell said in the statement. “UFC is proud of the advancements we have made with our anti-doping program over the past eight years, and we will continue to maintain an independently administered drug-testing program that ensures all UFC athletes are competing under fair and equal circumstances. With this new iteration of the program, UFC has once again raised the bar for health and safety in combat sports.”

UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky was also quoted:

“This latest UFC Anti-Doping Program is the result of our continued efforts to protect the athletes who compete in the Octagon. This new program is the result of years of input and trial and error taken by UFC, our athletes, and third parties who have assisted UFC in operating the program. The anti-doping policy is a living and breathing document that will continue to evolve and adapt when clear science supports changes that can further protect UFC athletes who compete in UFC.”

MMA Junkie obtained an email Campbell sent to the UFC roster, detailing expectations for whereabouts filing and testing, which can be read below along with more details released in the public statement about the new UFC ADP.

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Who is George Piro, the man in charge of the new UFC anti-doping program?

Find out more about George Piro, a former FBI agent who is the new independent administrator of the UFC’s anti-doping program.

The UFC has announced a new partnership to continue its anti-doping program after ending an eight-year association with U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and the hiring of a new key figure.

Beginning in January 2024, Drug Free Sport International will run the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion’s anti-doping program, the promotion announced Thursday. Serving as the new independent administrator of the UFC’s anti-doping program will be former FBI agent [autotag]George Piro[/autotag].

Find out more details about Piro below.

UFC’s Hunter Campbell says USADA used Conor McGregor ‘to advance a false narrative,’ demands apology

The UFC is demanding an apology from USADA for associating Conor McGregor in statements that announced the expiration of their partnership.

LAS VEGAS – UFC executive vice president and chief business officer [autotag]Hunter Campbell[/autotag] has responded to statements released by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and is demanding an apology for comments targeting [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

On Wednesday, USADA CEO Travis Tygart issued a statement addressing the split between the UFC and USADA, and [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s re-entry into the drug testing pool. McGregor previously withdrew from the testing pool as he recovered from a broken leg suffered in his UFC 264 trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier.

Tygart’s statement claims the relationship between USADA and the UFC soured as McGregor prepares for a return to action.

“The relationship between USADA and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months,” Tygart said.

Tygart’s statements were directly addressed at a news conference on Thursday, where Campbell, along with senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitsky, announced the UFC’s new partnership with Drug Free Sport International.

“Disappointingly, they used Conor McGregor as a vehicle to sort of articulate and re-frame a complete misrepresentation of what occurred over the last several months,” Campbell told MMA Junkie and other reporters in attendance at the UFC Apex. “… What I can categorically tell you is, what USADA has put out in the last 48 hours could not be farther from the truth.”

Campbell is of the belief that Tygart’s messaging was a “self-preservation tactic” as USADA prepares to move forward without one of its largest clients. Without invoking McGregor in the statement, Campbell believes USADA’s message would have not received the same level of media attention.

Tygart’s claim that the UFC wanted McGregor to return without having to be tested for six months, as required of any fighter returning to the testing pool, was categorically denied by Campbell.

“At no point in time did Jeff, myself, or any other UFC representative, Dana – not a single person ever went to USADA and told them anything other than Conor McGregor would re-enter the program when he was healthy,” Campbell said. “In doing so, we would require him to be in the program for six months. There would be no exception to the rule. What I said to Travis on multiple occasions, including the call on Monday, was there would never be a situation where Conor would fight until he had been in the program for six months. And my words were, ‘I don’t give a sh*t if he has 37 clean tests.’ This is one of those cases where Conor was the most tested athlete in the UFC before he catastrophically shattered his leg.

“The conversations I had with Conor and his physician when that occurred had nothing to do with fighting, they were legitimately concerned he wasn’t going to regain full use of his leg ever again, including the ligaments around it. And I’ll say it one last time, what they’ve done to him is disgusting. For an entity that holds themself out to have a level of honor and integrity, using him as a media vehicle to advance a fake narrative is disturbing, disgusting, and I think they have some legitimate legal liability that they should be very concerned with.”

According to Campbell, he previously sat in a meeting with McGregor and came to an understanding that there would not be an exemption to the six-month rule. In addition, Tygart was also involved in conversations with McGregor in order to get everyone on the same page.

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Campbell said he had a phone call with Tygart on Monday to deliver the message that the UFC would be going in a different direction beginning January 2024, when the contract with USADA expires. While Campbell says he spoke in a calm demeanor, conversely, Tygart did not react well to the news.

“I couldn’t have been more clear about the reasons that we were making the change, and he was just completely unhinged,” Campbell explained. “Truly, it was a version of a mental breakdown. The only thing that I logically can sit back as I reflect and think on that call is this is an individual that’s dealing with a lot of sh*t right now. I think that call was the straw that broke the camel’s back type of moment.”

Campbell and the UFC are not just content with candidly explaining their side of the story amid the ending of the UFC-USADA partnership. They have demanded that Tygart and USADA issue an apology for their recent statements that claim McGregor’s situation was the reason for ending the business relationship.

“As such, we hereby demand that you publish an appropriate retraction and apology to the UFC by no later than Thursday, October 12 at 5:00 p.m.,” a letter from Campbell’s law firm to Tygart states. “The retraction should acknowledge the falsity of the representations of the statement that express or imply the UFC ended its relationship with USADA in order to expedite McGregor’s return to the UFC. The retraction should also acknowledge the UFC’s repeated representations to you that McGregor will not fight in the UFC until he has spent six months in the testing pool and returned two clean tests as required by the ADP.”

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UFC to continue anti-doping program, announces partnership with Drug Free Sport International

With USADA out, the UFC plans to continue their anti-doping program under Drug Free Sport International.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC partnership with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) may have come to an end, but their anti-doping program will continue under a partnership with a different entity.

UFC executive vice president and chief business officer [autotag]Hunter Campbell[/autotag] along with senior vice president of athlete health and performance [autotag]Jeff Novitsky[/autotag] announced Thursday that the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion will partner with Drug Free Sport International to run its athlete anti-doping program starting in 2024.

This news comes on the heels of a contentious statement by USADA on Wednesday announcing that the UFC did not renew its services for drug testing.

“Eight years ago when Jeff came over to work with Dana (White) and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and Laurence (Epstein) and the whole team here to build out this program, there wasn’t a mechanism to do this in any other way than using USADA,” Campbell told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference. “Frankly, I would say, the first six years of the program, USADA was an incredible partner. I know that we built out the single greatest testing program in all of professional sports. I couldn’t be prouder of the program that was built. In the last several years, and I know a lot of you have followed it and seen it, there’s been a tremendous amount of technological change that has occurred and not only has there been a massive amount of change, there’s also been a change in the science that has gone into it as well as the players in the space.

“… We didn’t terminate the USADA partnership. We just informed them that we wouldn’t be renewing and that we would be building out a new program at the beginning of the year. So, the testing continues, everything is status quo through the end of the year until something happens otherwise, I don’t know. It’s going to be a complicated relationship for the next few months. Conor (McGregor) is 100 percent in the pool.”

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USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in his announcement that differences over whether UFC star [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] should be granted an exemption from the required six-month testing window caused friction between the UFC and USADA, thus causing their contract not to get renewed. Campbell categorically denied those accusations.

The UFC has been working with USADA since 2015 and will continue to run the anti-doping program until Dec. 31.

DFSI currently works with NCAA, MLB, NFL, NBA and other sports organizations. They have been involved in anti-doping programs for more than two decades. [autotag]George Piro[/autotag] will serve as the independent administrator of the UFC’s anti-doping program.

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Cortney Casey accepts 4-month sanction for violating UFC Anti-Doping policy

UFC flyweight Cortney Casey as approved a suspension from USADA after self-reporting use of a prohibited substance.

UFC flyweight [autotag]Cortney Casey[/autotag] is facing a 4-month suspension after self-reporting the use of a non-approved substance.

According to an announcement from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Casey (10-10 MMA, 6-9 UFC) self-reported the use of a prohibited substance, BPC-157, on June 21, 2023. The substance is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping policy, but Casey was unaware of the classification when prescribed and provided BPC-157 by a doctor for a medical condition.

Due to admitting her use and coming forward with documentation supporting her claim, Casey was eligible for a reduction in the period of her ineligibility to compete.

The full statement reads as follows:

USADA announced today that Cortney Casey, of Glendale, Ariz., has accepted a four-month sanction for a violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.

Casey, 36, self-reported the use of a prohibited substance, BPC-157, to the UFC on June 21, 2023. BPC-157 is a Specified Substance in the class of Non-Approved Substances and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.

Casey immediately provided documentation confirming that she was prescribed and provided BPC-157 by a doctor to help treat a medical condition. After using the substance for a short period of time, she learned that BPC-157 is a prohibited substance and came forward about her use to the UFC. A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) was not applicable to this Non-Approved Substance. Casey was eligible for a reduction to the period of ineligibility based on her forthright declaration and for her Full and Complete Cooperation.

Casey’s four-month period of ineligibility began on June 1, 2023, the approximate date that she last used the prohibited substance.

BPC-157 is not eligible for a TUE because it is not an approved therapeutic agent in any country, according to the USADA website. It is described as an experimental compound that has been investigated for inflammatory bowel disease and soft tissue healing, but the substance lacks published clinical trial data.

Casey was last in action at UFC on ESPN 39 last July, where she lost a split decision against Antonina Shevchenko. She was scheduled to face Jasmine Jasudavicius in February, but withdrew from the contest beforehand.

Casey’s period of ineligibility is set to expire on Oct. 1, 2023, since her period of ineligibility is retroactive to the approximate date she last used the non-approved substance.

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PFL announces immediate USADA anti-doping partnership ‘very similar’ to UFC’s but ‘with minor distinctions’

The UFC and PFL drug testing protocols will be “will be very similar, with minor distinctions,” according to an email acquired by MMA Junkie.

In the wake of numerous positive athlete drug tests, PFL has officially partnered with USADA, the same anti-doping organization utilized by the UFC.

In a memo sent Tuesday by PFL president of fighter operations Ray Sefo to fighters and teams, the promotion announced its immediate installment of the partnership and detailed what that exactly means. Fighters who are partaking in the upcoming playoffs are now required to partake in educational introduction sessions later this week.

According to a document attached to the email, the PFL and UFC drug-testing protocols implemented by USADA “will be very similar, with minor distinctions to account for the PFL’s sport season format.” It is unclear exactly what those distinctions are at this time.

Additonally, whereabouts failures will not be installed to start, though the document indicates that will eventually change.

MMA Junkie acquired and verified the email with multiple people who received it, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has not yet spoken publicly on the matter. USADA confirmed the partnership on a new informational page on their official website. ESPN first reported the news.

Read below the email message sent to fighters:

“PFL Fighters,

We are proud to announce that today we are formally launching the PFL Anti-Doping Program in partnership with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

USADA conducts year-round, independent anti-doping programs for all Olympic, Paralympic, and UFC athletes, and will now do so for PFL athletes as well.

This program is part of the PFL’s commitment as a fighter first organization to supporting a safe, level playing field and advancing the highest levels of competition and the integrity of the sport.

The program will begin immediately with initial educational sessions being scheduled with USADA this week for participants in the upcoming Playoffs. Educational sessions to explain the program will be scheduled with other fighters thereafter. It is strongly recommended that each fighter have their coach, manager, or other key support person join the educational sessions.

The PFL Fighter Ops Team will follow up shortly with more details.

In the meantime, more information about the program is available in the attached FAQs and at http://PFL.USADA.org.

Ray Sefo
President of Fighter Operations”

The partnership with USADA comes after a 2023 regular season filled with drug test failures and, at a Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) hearing, is one PFL indicated would soon come.

Though it does not appear athletic commissions changed their independent drug testing procedures, 10 fighters tested positive over the span of the promotion’s first three regular season events in Las Vegas.

Among the positives were 2022 light heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson, 2021 heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza, former UFC title challenger and Thiago Santos.

All of the fighters who tested positive were suspended, fined, and those who won had their victories overturned. The results of the drug tests from the PFL’s second grouping of regular season events, which took place in Atlanta in June, have not yet been publicized.

UFC issues anti-doping program IV rules reminder to fighters

The UFC sent a reminder to its fighters about the rules of IV use during fight week.

The UFC has issued an important reminder to fighters surrounding IV use.

After UFC 284, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev was accused by fellow lightweight Dan Hooker of using intravenous (IV) therapy to rehydrate after weigh-ins for his main event championship bout against Alexander Volkanovski in Perth, Australia.

Makhachev’s team denied Hooker’s claim, telling MMA Junkie the accusations were “completely BS.”

However, the situation sparked conversations about IV use under the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), prompting the promotion to clear up any confusion about what is permitted by issuing a reminder of the UFC Anti-Doping Program’s rules to the fighter roster. The initial rules prohibiting IV use were implemented in 2015, but were adjusted in 2019.

MMA Junkie obtained a copy of the email fighters received, which outlines when a fighter may use an IV without the need for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE):

In light of recent discussions on the UFC Anti-Doping Program (UFC ADP) IV rules, below is a reminder of the rule as it has stood since the end of 2019. This rule, along with the entire UFC ADP, has been publicly posted since that time at ufc.usada.org. Additionally, multiple advisories on the IV rule have been emailed to UFC athletes, managers and support. Lastly, USADA advises all new UFC athletes on the UFC-ADP IV rule when they join the UFC Registered Testing Pool (UFC RTP).

  • The following IVs are now permitted without a TUE:

    • Those received in the course of hospital treatments, surgical procedures, clinical diagnostic investigations;

    • Those received by a licensed medical professional after a licensed physician determines that they are medically justified;

    • IVs of less than a total of 100 mL per 12-hour period;

    • Separate of the UFC Anti-Doping Program rules, athletic commissions require any athlete who receives an IV surrounding a fight to (1) obtain permission from the commission before receiving an IV and; (2) disclose use of that IV to the commission after its use. Despite the fact that IV use is now permitted under UFC ADP rules if administered by a “licensed medical professional after a licensed physician determines they are medically justified,” the required disclosure of such use to an athletic commission could jeopardize the licensing of the fight by the commission. Most athletic commissions and their medical staffs will further make a determination if a fighter is medically cleared to compete after IV use. Athletic commission IV rules vary from commission to commission, which is why disclosure of intended and completed IV use to athletic commissions surrounding a fight is required.

The IV initial rules began Oct. 1, 2015. Fighters were allowed infusions or injections of non-prohibitied substances as long as the volume of fluid administered did not exceed 50mL per six-hour period.

All IVs of more than 50mL in or out of competition were prohibited at all times, with the exception of “those legitimately received in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures, or clinical investigations, without an approved TUE.” In addition, all prohibited substances administered by injection or IV required a TUE whether above or below 50mL.

After conversations began following Hooker’s accusation towards Makhachev, UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky issued statements on Twitter, similar to the email fighters received, explaining the updated IV rules.

There is currently no verifiable evidence available that suggests Makhachev used an IV in compliance with the rules or otherwise during UFC 284 fight week.