411 MMA Smacktalk 07.23.07: Roid Rage Recap

Posted by Damian Sarcuni on 07.23.2007

We sum up a week's worth of steroid debates and give our opinions in today's edition.

Welcome to Smacktalk, the weekly report that just can't seem to land six news-worthy items in one article anymore. I'm Damian Sarcuni and Jose Chavez is actually here, but we're pretty much unified on this topic.

This past week, the net has been abuzz with only one topic; that of steroid usage in mixed martial arts. When dealing with large stories such as these, where all the topics out there seem to be related, Jose and I prefer to simply summarize the story at hand and offer our own commentary rather than commenting on six separate headlines that are all pretty much related. Let's take a look at that summary now:

In the wake of several steroid scandals across several forms of sports and entertainment, the mixed martial arts world has recently been plagued by a series of positive drug tests from several MMA fighters in various promotions. The most recent and shocking of these came from the recent UFC lightweight championship bout where both the champion, Sean Sherk, and the challenger, Hermes Franca, both tested positive for banned substances. While Sean Sherk has adamantly denied steroid usage and has filed an appeal, Franca has gone on record admitting his usage but also explaining that he felt he had no choice but to do so. Finally, in an open letter addressed to Dana White on sherdog.com, editor Josh Gross called for reform within the UFC on steroid policies. Another open letter was posted in response, insulting Gross, Jeff Sherwood and defending the UFC. Since then debate has raged across the internet as both forum writers and columnists have debated and argued on whether or not there is in fact a banned substance epidemic threatening MMA, and what, if anything, should be done about it..



At this time, there have already been several editorials and opinionated pieces discussing this issue as everyone seems to be rushing to voice their thoughts on the matter. Unfortunately, we here at Smacktalk can do no different as pretty much all major MMA news stories are related to the issue. As such, Jose and I will once again offer our commentary on the issue overall and try to give our subjective views in a manner that covers the big picture as well as each individual story. We thank you in advance for bearing with us during another one of our "soap box rant weeks" and hope to see the current issues facing MMA resolved quickly so that we can get back to the good old reporting and speculation we are normally here for. With that, here is what we have to say about steroids and mixed martial arts (from Damian's POV).



When I first read that Sean Sherk had tested positive for the abuse of banned substances in his recent UFC lightweight title defense, I'm sorry to say I wasn't in the slightest bit surprised. Prior to that fight, the UFC had run several publicity specials touting Sherk as a workout fanatic with an ethic that put most other UFC fighters to shame. Nicknamed "the muscle shark", Sherk was a bodybuilder, one who struck me as ingesting a lot of supplements and monitoring his physique constantly. I've known people like that personally and I've seen them in the media. It didn't strike me as odd that an athlete of Sherk's caliber might have resorted to using a banned substance for the sake of gaining an edge.

When I read that Hermes Franca had also tested positive for banned substances however, I literally thought it was a joke. Franca, whom Sherk absolutely dominated in their fight, even went on to admit his usage and explain that he felt obligated to do so or else he risked facing a distinct financial hardship. For both a champion and a challenger to employ such tactics was embarrassing for the sport and as a fan I could only shake my head, wondering if this would lead to reform of any kind.



Then Josh Gross put his two cents in, and the whole world lit on fire. Gross, clearly angered and disgusted by this epidemic threatening his beloved sport, wrote a letter addressed to UFC president Dana White calling for immediate reform and independent drug testing, citing that the UFC needed to set an example and save the sport of MMA. While Gross did not blame White or the UFC specifically for the recent steroid controversy, he was critical of their business practices and questioned their integrity. In response, UFC fans called for Josh Gross' head, writing post after post on several message boards about how out of line Gross was, how he was using this scandal to draw attention to himself, and how the UFC was not obligated to do a single thing Gross asked for. In a supposed response from the UFC president himself, Dana White insulted Jeff Sherwood and Josh Gross' physiques, stating that he did not like them and claiming they knew nothing of the situation.

That leaves us where we are now, wondering why so many fighters are using steroids despite preventive testing measures from state athletic commissions, and considering what if anything should be done about it. I had to think about this long and hard, and before I could come to any conclusion I did my best to look at the hard facts, which I will now list.



The UFC and Dana White have made a LOT of money on MMA and fighters just like Sherk and Franca. Hell, Dana White even owns a private jet (which to me is the pinnacle of financial success). At the same time, the UFC did not come to fruition on its own accord. Millions of fans did not tune in to watch The Ultimate Fighter just because Spike TV ran a bunch of UFC commercials. They did so because existing fans of the UFC from communities like sherdog spread the word and hyped up their sport to bring in new legions of fans. The explosion of MMA has come from a solid combination of great promotions like the UFC/Pride, as well as the efforts of fans and media who hype the sport. I also considered the statement Hermes Franca made, where he stated that he lives on a paycheck to paycheck basis, and that if he did not fight his family would wind up starving. The UFC is well known for paying strict cash rewards in their contracts as opposed to including any kind of medical coverage. Lastly, I thought about existing measures athletic commissions have taken to prevent steroid use, what the WWE has done to prevent steroid use in professional wrestling, how it compares to the UFC, and the difference between athletic and professional contracts.

Here is what I have determined:

The UFC is obligated to participate in the remediation of illegal steroid usage in the sport of mixed martial arts. While the UFC is not legally bound to do anything at this point in time, they are morally and (I feel) constitutionally obligated to get involved due to the amount of profit they have made. I feel that if the UFC were to go before any government body such as Congress on this issue, they would be found constitutionally obliged to help remediate the situation.

I do not feel the UFC is obligated to conduct in-house testing for banned substances, because that is an arbitrary solution to a deeper problem. Many fans have stated that the responsibility for use of banned substances falls squarely on the fighter who chooses to take those substances. In an ideal world, these fans would be right, but if Hermes Franca has anything to say about it, they are not. A UFC contract is simply an agreement to fight in exchange for a monetary purse. The UFC has not been able to supply any medical coverage for fighters, nor do they allow any room for injuries or rehabilitation. In a UFC contract, if you fight, you make money. If not, you are screwed, and it doesn't matter why. This is similar to a WWE contract. A professional wrestler can take time off away from the road whenever they want to, but if they haven't saved their money they do so at the risk of losing their homes and possibly their job. At this time, UFC contracts are structured in a similar way, although professional wrestlers have a well known much harder life on the road that intensifies the banned substance situation there.

What the UFC is obligated to do in order to save the sport is adjust their contracts. I am a technology contractor myself and I see no reason why a UFC athlete's contract cannot look like mine. The first thing the UFC needs to offer fighters is pay-in medical insurance, deducted directly from a fighter's purse. This will allow fighters to quickly manage injuries effectively, increase morale, and give the UFC a heads up on the status of each fighter. It won't be cheap, but it can be done quite easily with the amount of purchasing power the UFC currently has. The second thing the UFC needs to offer is a minimum advance in the event of injury. If a fighter is injured and cannot fight, they should not have to worry about putting food on their table just so the UFC can make their precious super fight happen on the proper date. Fighters should have the option to borrow an advance against a minimum losing purse ($2000 ought to do it) during which time they can rest their minds about the rent being paid and focus on rehabbing and getting back into the octagon as soon as possible (with a $2000 deduction from their purse, win or lose).

Once these measures are in place, the UFC is absolved of any guilt should a fighter be caught using banned substances. These two simple bullet points in a contract will prove to fans, fighters, press, government bodies and even the better business bureau that the UFC has done all they could to take care of their prospects and treat their fighters well. If a fighter chooses to use a banned substance while guaranteed pay in medical coverage and an advance against his purse, then it is obvious that fighter is using steroids of their own accord and not because of any pressure the UFC or any other organization might be putting on them. That is when the real suspensions and license revocation can begin and will sort the true cheaters from the innocent victims. I think the UFC needs to adapt these measures immediately and prove that fighting is more than just a business, that they are truly fans of the sport and want to see it thrive in the long run.

Thanks for reading our take on this ongoing issue. Stay tuned to the 411mania MMA section for when more news does pop up, including our coverage of the upcoming IFL event in East Rutherford, NJ this August 2nd.