UFC president Dana White supports the athletic commission guidelines on drug testing mixed martial artists and compared the rigid policies and punishment to other sports’ testing programs to the media following Saturday’s UFC 108 in Las Vegas.

“They can test us how ever they want to test us. That’s up to the athletic commission. I don’t like steroids in fighting,” stated White. “When you go out and you hit a (expletive) ball over a wall, who gives a (expletive)? Who cares what you’re on? I don’t care what you’re doing or what you’re on. When you can get on top of a guy and elbow and punch another guy in the face you should be tested, and you shouldn’t be using performance enhancing drugs.”

In the fight game, athletic commissions are in place to ensure the safety of the fighters and a level playing field for the athletes. Most other sports handle their testing in house and the consequences typically don’t add up to what fighters face if caught using performance enhancing drugs.

“I think the athletic commission does a fantastic job in the way that they test and I think early on when this thing started growing and some guys got busted, I think it sent a message. And this is the only sport that does it, boxing and mixed martial arts, it effects your ability to make a living,” said White. “(Expletive) baseball players get caught, they’re like, okay, I know you’re making 65 million dollars this year, we’re going to sit you out for thirty games. Alright, I’ll be down in the (expletive) Bahamas, call me when my suspension is up. When it happens to these guys, they lose the ability to make a living and the sponsors they lose. They lose credibility. It’s different in the fight game. I think the athletic commission has done a great job and sent a message.”

“If you’re taking them you’re going to get caught,” added the UFC figurehead. “They are testing you and they’re going to get you and then you lose your ability to make a living. Plus, I think steroids affect these guys mentally, physically and emotionally. They’re never the same after they get busted for steroids. They’re never the same after they get off them.”

White believes the athletic commission policies and procedures have served as a deterrent and is apparent by the lack of positive tests recently in mixed martial arts, but quickly pointed out that other sports aren’t held to the standard that fighters are.

“Let me tell you this; if every other sport were under the same drug testing guidelines that we are there would be no (expletive) football on Sunday, and there would be no baseball,” commented the outspoken company president.

“If every Sunday those guys put their cleats on, ran out and played football, as soon as the game was over they were tested for steroids, there would be a lot less guys the next (expletive) Sunday. I can guarantee you that, so I think the athletic commission has done a great job in combat sports and I can’t even remember when someone was actually in the UFC and tested positive to steroids. It has been a while.”

by Jeff Cain by MMAWeekly.com (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=10401&zoneid=13)

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