Robbie Lawler, UFC welterweight champion says that the negative findings on the drug tests of Jon Jones and Anderson Silva are big black eyes to mixed martial arts.
He hopes that the Nevada Athletic Commission, the UFC and the fighters themselves should help clean up the sport that has been good to all of them.
Lawler was referring to Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, whose failed drug tests actually overshadowed the four great events of the UFC in January 2015.
Instead of savoring the successful four major events of the UFC last month, fans would actually remember how two of the best UFC’s pound-for-pound fighters of all time failed their respective drug tests.
Lawler admitted that he felt bad and disappointed over the news and he is keenly hoping for a change in the UFC and the mindset of its fighters.
Failed drug tests
Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites during the drug test held on January 6, some three days after the UFC 182 where he handily beat Daniel Cormier, reports MMA Fighting.
Anderson Silva on the other hand failed a drug test on January 19 in an out-of-competition event but was able to fight and defeat Nick Diaz at UFC 183 held on January 31. Silva’s test results came out on February 3.
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones took a drug test on December 23 and was found to be positive for cocaine. But because it was an out-of-competition test and cocaine is prohibited in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency code, Jones got a mere slapped on the wrist from the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC). He was just fined $25,000 by the UFC for violation of the organization’s code of conduct.
The tests on Anderson Silva, regarded as the best UFC fighter of all time, showed that he has taken in performance-enhancing drugs which only marred his comeback to the Octagon after suffering from that gruesome leg injury in December of 2013.
The former UFC middleweight champion who held the title for seven long years, was found to be positive for drostanolone and androstane during an out-of-competition test. Silva denied using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs.
Time to clean the sport
Lawler was the UFC welterweight champion beginning on December 6 only after he beat Johnny Hendricks at UFC 181. The fight was also held in Las Vegas and his test results came back to the Nevada Athletic Commission clean.
In order to clean the sport, UFC has announced a plan to implement year-round random drug-testing program for all of its nearly 600 athletes. But UFC president Dana White retracted the pronouncement later on. He said that UFC would not do it after a mistake made over the summer in testing fighters at an event in Macau, China.
The organization regulated itself during that fight because it was not under the scrutiny of an athletic commission.
Lawler said UFC’s plan of stricter drug testing is huge for the sport and asked everyone to help in figuring it out and clean the sport eventually.