Tony
12-08-2009, 10:20
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/steroids-1.jpg
Is steroid use an epidemic in MMA? Or are most of the fighters who have tested positive simply the victims of inept athletic commissions, shady nutritional supplements, and tainted goat meat (http://www.mmaontap.com/mma/entry/it-was-the-goats-fault/)? After Josh Barnett’s latest chemical misadventure took down Affliction (http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/josh%20barnett%20steroids%20affliction), we decided to round up every steroid bust in the sport since early 2002, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission began testing MMA fighters for performance-enhancing drugs. The results…may shock you.
***
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/couture-barnett-hands-up.jpg
JOSH BARNETT (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Josh_Barnett) (The Beginning)
Caught: 4/22/02 (http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Aug-14-Sat-2004/sports/24534514.html), following his TKO victory over Randy Couture (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Randy_Couture) at UFC 36 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_36).
Tested positive for: Boldenone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boldenone), Nandrolone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandrolone), and Fluoxymesterone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxymesterone)
Punishment: A six-month suspension from the NSAC and the loss of his UFC heavyweight title. Barnett fought the steroid charge (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/17305362-post162.html), and didn’t compete again in the U.S. until PRIDE 32 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_32), four and a half years later. (See: Belfort, Nastula)
In his own words (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/17305362-post162.html): "I am a fighter, not a lawyer. I am innocent, and I should be fighting right now."
Repeat offender: Barnett actually tested positive once before, for two different anabolic steroids, following his submission via strikes victory over Bobby Hoffman at UFC 34 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_34) in November 2001. Josh was let off with a warning (which went unheeded, apparently) and the incident was never officially reported — but according to Sherdog’s Mike Sloan (http://www.sherdog.com/news/interviews/Sylvia-Comes-Clean-1220), Barnett’s first positive steroid test is what inspired Nevada to begin regularly testing UFC fighters for performance enhancing drugs.
TIM SYLVIA (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Tim_Sylvia)
Caught: 10/7/03 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/tim-sylvia-banned-substance-at-ufc-44-1211), following his first-round knockout of Gan McGee at UFC 44 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_44).
Tested positive for: Stanozolol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanozolol)
Punishment: $10,000 fine and a six-month suspension from the NSAC. Sylvia voluntarily vacated his heavyweight title following his positive steroid test.
In his own words (http://www.sherdog.com/news/interviews/Sylvia-Comes-Clean-1220): “[A]fter I fought Ricco [Rodriguez], I was in for a long layoff. I decided to try some things and maybe change my physique a little bit and get in better shape. But whatever I used, it came back positive. I don’t know how that happened. I did it so long ago and I was way off it before I fought McGee. I think they found it in my fat cells. I guess it stays in there for a while, huh?...I heard what Josh had used, so I used something different and I was only using it to trim my physique. I thought that what I was using, it was going to be out by the time I fought McGee. I fought Gan and apparently it wasn’t out.”
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/Kimo.jpg
[B]KIMO LEOPOLDO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimo_Leopoldo) (Pt. 1)
Caught: 8/16/04 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/kimo-suspended-six-months-fined-5000-1938), following his TKO loss to Ken Shamrock (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Ken_Shamrock) at UFC 48 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_48).
Tested positive for: Stanozolol
Punishment: $5,000 fine and a six-month suspension from the NSAC.
In his own words (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2435&zoneid=3): “I wasn’t quite on par for that fight, and yeah, I did use some substances, and I did do some Winstrol in that fight, but at that time it was so early that I didn’t know I was going to be tested. That doesn’t justify it, but I wasn’t using it as a performance enhancer to be strong or whatever. It was just something... an extra little kick.”
Leading by example: (http://www.cagepotato.com/seriously-kimo-leopoldo-applies-be-executive-officer-csac) “Yes, I used steroids in my past to help support my efforts as a professional athlete/fighter. However, my experiences whether negative or positive have given me greater insight into the crutches of life's downfalls and my decisions today come from experiences. I will say that my choices and decision-making ability are educated decisions and made from a position of informed consent, as opposed to blind guidance. I can be honest about my past and can look a fighter in the eye and tell him/her with great confidence that use of illicit substances is not worth the future health issues it creates nor is it worth the risk they are taking against their license.”
NATE MARQUARDT (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Nate_Marquardt)
Caught: 8/15/05 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=445&zoneid=4), following his unanimous decision win over Ivan Salaverry at Ultimate Fight Night 1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Fight_Night).
Tested positive for: Nandrolone
Punishment: No fine and a suspension lifted by the NSAC on January 5th, after two separate follow-up tests came up negative for the drug (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/marquardts-suspension-lifted-by-nsac-3809).
In his own words (http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/07/sports/sp-ufc7?pg=1): "I never thought it'd be an issue. I'd been taking some over-the-counter supplements at a Max Muscle store. It was something like what Mark McGwire took, androstenedione (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androstenedione). I never thought of that stuff being tested. It was a stupid mistake. People are going to believe what they want to believe, but I've been clean in my last three fights — I'm not taking anything that's not independently tested anymore — and I'm fighting just as well as I ever have…I know some guys just knowingly take steroids, but there's not enough [information] about what causes false positives, about contamination risks, all that. You have to watch out for things. We don't always know what not to take. That's the real gray area. That's my story."
(http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo)
(http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo)
(http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo)
KIMO LEOPOLDO (http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo) (Pt. 2)
Caught: 7/20/06 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/wfa-update-kimo-out-of-rutten-fight-so-is-sims-5081), two days before he was scheduled to fight Bas Rutten (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Bas_Rutten) at WFA: King of the Streets (http://sherdog.com/events/WFA-King-of-the-Streets-3870).
Tested positive for: Stanozolol
Punishment: Leopoldo was pulled from the match with Rutten, but received no official punishment. Kimo took a fight in London two months after the WFA incident (a submission loss against Dave Legeno), and fought in Hawaii just one week after that, losing to Wes Sims by TKO.
In the words of Bas Rutten (http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/wfa-update-kimo-out-of-rutten-fight-so-is-sims-5081): “Every guy who uses steroids to fight is a fucking pussy. For him to do this shit after all the promotion he did, all the shit he talked about me — taking me out in minutes and all that bullshit — apparently that was the steroids talking, right?”
In Kimo's own words (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2435&zoneid=3): “I actually had a prescribed medication that was in my system. I had a knee surgery that I had approximately a year ago, so my doctor prescribed me a few things to help me out in my recovery, and this was taken before I even had a clue about this fight with Bas. I was completely done taking it when I found out about this fight…I really believed that it would be out of my system. I knew I was going to get tested, after my previous thing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I know no matter what now every fight is going to be like that. Now, knowing this and I’m a pretty intelligent guy, when I step into this doctor’s office, if I had any clue and I was going to cheat, I would have had fake pee. There’s a lot of ways around tests if you want to cheat, but I had no reason to do that because I felt I was correct…I don’t want to sound like one of those guys who says they were set up, but I don’t feel like I was done right.”
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/vitor-belfort_23134.gif
VITOR BELFORT (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Vitor_Belfort)
Caught: 10/26/06 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2841&zoneid=3), following his unanimous decision loss to Dan Henderson (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Dan_Henderson) at PRIDE 32 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_32).
Tested positive for: 4-Hydroxytestosterone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-Hydroxytestosterone)
Punishment: $10,000 fine and a nine-month suspension from the NSAC.
In his own words (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2916&zoneid=3): “I bought a supplement called 'Max Tribostak' at Max Muscle in La Habra, California, which contains 4-Hydroxytestosterone. I had no idea that a supplement bought over the counter at a vitamin store would contain a substance that is illegal in the state of Nevada.”
PAWEL NASTULA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawel_Nastula)
Caught: 10/26/06 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2841&zoneid=3), following his submission loss against Josh Barnett at PRIDE 32.
Tested positive for: Nandrolone
Punishment: $6,500 fine and a nine-month suspension from the NSAC.
In his own defense (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawel_Nastula): “Nastula has denied the veracity of the test results, claiming that the stimulants were absorbed into his system from over-the-counter supplements and that nandrolone, a mass-building substance, would not have been useful to him as he has not gained any muscle mass since coming to PRIDE.”
Is steroid use an epidemic in MMA? Or are most of the fighters who have tested positive simply the victims of inept athletic commissions, shady nutritional supplements, and tainted goat meat (http://www.mmaontap.com/mma/entry/it-was-the-goats-fault/)? After Josh Barnett’s latest chemical misadventure took down Affliction (http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/josh%20barnett%20steroids%20affliction), we decided to round up every steroid bust in the sport since early 2002, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission began testing MMA fighters for performance-enhancing drugs. The results…may shock you.
***
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/couture-barnett-hands-up.jpg
JOSH BARNETT (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Josh_Barnett) (The Beginning)
Caught: 4/22/02 (http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Aug-14-Sat-2004/sports/24534514.html), following his TKO victory over Randy Couture (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Randy_Couture) at UFC 36 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_36).
Tested positive for: Boldenone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boldenone), Nandrolone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandrolone), and Fluoxymesterone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxymesterone)
Punishment: A six-month suspension from the NSAC and the loss of his UFC heavyweight title. Barnett fought the steroid charge (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/17305362-post162.html), and didn’t compete again in the U.S. until PRIDE 32 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_32), four and a half years later. (See: Belfort, Nastula)
In his own words (http://www.sherdog.net/forums/17305362-post162.html): "I am a fighter, not a lawyer. I am innocent, and I should be fighting right now."
Repeat offender: Barnett actually tested positive once before, for two different anabolic steroids, following his submission via strikes victory over Bobby Hoffman at UFC 34 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_34) in November 2001. Josh was let off with a warning (which went unheeded, apparently) and the incident was never officially reported — but according to Sherdog’s Mike Sloan (http://www.sherdog.com/news/interviews/Sylvia-Comes-Clean-1220), Barnett’s first positive steroid test is what inspired Nevada to begin regularly testing UFC fighters for performance enhancing drugs.
TIM SYLVIA (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Tim_Sylvia)
Caught: 10/7/03 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/tim-sylvia-banned-substance-at-ufc-44-1211), following his first-round knockout of Gan McGee at UFC 44 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_44).
Tested positive for: Stanozolol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanozolol)
Punishment: $10,000 fine and a six-month suspension from the NSAC. Sylvia voluntarily vacated his heavyweight title following his positive steroid test.
In his own words (http://www.sherdog.com/news/interviews/Sylvia-Comes-Clean-1220): “[A]fter I fought Ricco [Rodriguez], I was in for a long layoff. I decided to try some things and maybe change my physique a little bit and get in better shape. But whatever I used, it came back positive. I don’t know how that happened. I did it so long ago and I was way off it before I fought McGee. I think they found it in my fat cells. I guess it stays in there for a while, huh?...I heard what Josh had used, so I used something different and I was only using it to trim my physique. I thought that what I was using, it was going to be out by the time I fought McGee. I fought Gan and apparently it wasn’t out.”
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/Kimo.jpg
[B]KIMO LEOPOLDO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimo_Leopoldo) (Pt. 1)
Caught: 8/16/04 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/kimo-suspended-six-months-fined-5000-1938), following his TKO loss to Ken Shamrock (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Ken_Shamrock) at UFC 48 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_48).
Tested positive for: Stanozolol
Punishment: $5,000 fine and a six-month suspension from the NSAC.
In his own words (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2435&zoneid=3): “I wasn’t quite on par for that fight, and yeah, I did use some substances, and I did do some Winstrol in that fight, but at that time it was so early that I didn’t know I was going to be tested. That doesn’t justify it, but I wasn’t using it as a performance enhancer to be strong or whatever. It was just something... an extra little kick.”
Leading by example: (http://www.cagepotato.com/seriously-kimo-leopoldo-applies-be-executive-officer-csac) “Yes, I used steroids in my past to help support my efforts as a professional athlete/fighter. However, my experiences whether negative or positive have given me greater insight into the crutches of life's downfalls and my decisions today come from experiences. I will say that my choices and decision-making ability are educated decisions and made from a position of informed consent, as opposed to blind guidance. I can be honest about my past and can look a fighter in the eye and tell him/her with great confidence that use of illicit substances is not worth the future health issues it creates nor is it worth the risk they are taking against their license.”
NATE MARQUARDT (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Nate_Marquardt)
Caught: 8/15/05 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=445&zoneid=4), following his unanimous decision win over Ivan Salaverry at Ultimate Fight Night 1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Fight_Night).
Tested positive for: Nandrolone
Punishment: No fine and a suspension lifted by the NSAC on January 5th, after two separate follow-up tests came up negative for the drug (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/marquardts-suspension-lifted-by-nsac-3809).
In his own words (http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/07/sports/sp-ufc7?pg=1): "I never thought it'd be an issue. I'd been taking some over-the-counter supplements at a Max Muscle store. It was something like what Mark McGwire took, androstenedione (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androstenedione). I never thought of that stuff being tested. It was a stupid mistake. People are going to believe what they want to believe, but I've been clean in my last three fights — I'm not taking anything that's not independently tested anymore — and I'm fighting just as well as I ever have…I know some guys just knowingly take steroids, but there's not enough [information] about what causes false positives, about contamination risks, all that. You have to watch out for things. We don't always know what not to take. That's the real gray area. That's my story."
(http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo)
(http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo)
(http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo)
KIMO LEOPOLDO (http://www.cagepotato.com/search/node/kimo%20leopoldo) (Pt. 2)
Caught: 7/20/06 (http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/wfa-update-kimo-out-of-rutten-fight-so-is-sims-5081), two days before he was scheduled to fight Bas Rutten (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Bas_Rutten) at WFA: King of the Streets (http://sherdog.com/events/WFA-King-of-the-Streets-3870).
Tested positive for: Stanozolol
Punishment: Leopoldo was pulled from the match with Rutten, but received no official punishment. Kimo took a fight in London two months after the WFA incident (a submission loss against Dave Legeno), and fought in Hawaii just one week after that, losing to Wes Sims by TKO.
In the words of Bas Rutten (http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/wfa-update-kimo-out-of-rutten-fight-so-is-sims-5081): “Every guy who uses steroids to fight is a fucking pussy. For him to do this shit after all the promotion he did, all the shit he talked about me — taking me out in minutes and all that bullshit — apparently that was the steroids talking, right?”
In Kimo's own words (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2435&zoneid=3): “I actually had a prescribed medication that was in my system. I had a knee surgery that I had approximately a year ago, so my doctor prescribed me a few things to help me out in my recovery, and this was taken before I even had a clue about this fight with Bas. I was completely done taking it when I found out about this fight…I really believed that it would be out of my system. I knew I was going to get tested, after my previous thing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I know no matter what now every fight is going to be like that. Now, knowing this and I’m a pretty intelligent guy, when I step into this doctor’s office, if I had any clue and I was going to cheat, I would have had fake pee. There’s a lot of ways around tests if you want to cheat, but I had no reason to do that because I felt I was correct…I don’t want to sound like one of those guys who says they were set up, but I don’t feel like I was done right.”
http://cdn.cagepotato.com/www/sites/default/files/vitor-belfort_23134.gif
VITOR BELFORT (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Vitor_Belfort)
Caught: 10/26/06 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2841&zoneid=3), following his unanimous decision loss to Dan Henderson (http://wiki.cagepotato.com/index.php/Dan_Henderson) at PRIDE 32 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_32).
Tested positive for: 4-Hydroxytestosterone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-Hydroxytestosterone)
Punishment: $10,000 fine and a nine-month suspension from the NSAC.
In his own words (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2916&zoneid=3): “I bought a supplement called 'Max Tribostak' at Max Muscle in La Habra, California, which contains 4-Hydroxytestosterone. I had no idea that a supplement bought over the counter at a vitamin store would contain a substance that is illegal in the state of Nevada.”
PAWEL NASTULA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawel_Nastula)
Caught: 10/26/06 (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2841&zoneid=3), following his submission loss against Josh Barnett at PRIDE 32.
Tested positive for: Nandrolone
Punishment: $6,500 fine and a nine-month suspension from the NSAC.
In his own defense (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawel_Nastula): “Nastula has denied the veracity of the test results, claiming that the stimulants were absorbed into his system from over-the-counter supplements and that nandrolone, a mass-building substance, would not have been useful to him as he has not gained any muscle mass since coming to PRIDE.”