UFC's war on drugs heats up

The UFC’s bid to combat an ugly outbreak of failed drug tests comes with steep consequences, potentially costing athletes hundreds of thousands of dollars and even their careers.

In the span of three days, the UFC has flagged both Yoel Romero and Diego Brandao for potential anti-doping policy violations.

Romero, the number-two ranked contender in the UFC’s middleweight division, was knocking on the door of a title shot following a December win over Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, but the news of his possible flunked test puts that in doubt.

According to a release sent out to the media on Wednesday, the 38-year-old Olympic silver medalist was tested out-of-competition by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). It is not yet known what irregularity the test found in Romero’s system.

On Saturday, Brandao joined the Cuban fighter on the hot seat, following the revelation that he was flagged for a positive marijuana test at UFC 195 earlier this month in Las Vegas.

The positive sample came from a test conducted in competition – which is defined as 12 hours before or after a fight.

Before I go any further, it’s worth pointing out that neither Romero or Brandao been proven guilty for using an illegal substance and will both get the opportunity to contest the doping failure.

The UFC took their first steps towards cleaning up the sport’s tarnished image this past July when they officially partnered with USADA to serve as the company’s third-party drug testing agency.

It came after a horrific start to 2015, which featured drug busts from high-profile stars, title contenders, and even champions, with Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz, and Hector Lombard testing positive in January alone.

Under the new testing regimen, not only are the UFC’s roster of over 500 competitors subjected to year-round out-of-competition testing but they can also cop substantial fines and suspensions for a flunked test – as Romero and Brandao could soon find out.

Brandao, who was flagged for a potential violation after testing positive for marijuana, could receive a suspension of up to two years, and a hefty fine – $500,000 being the worst possible outcome.

If proven guilty, the 28-year-old featherweight would have not only violated the UFC’s anti-doping policy, but also the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s (NSAC) program since the failed sample was conducted in competition for a fight contested in Las Vegas.

Brandao would have every right to be nervous, especially since the NSAC handed down arguably their most controversial punishment in history last year, initially suspending former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz for five years and fining him $165,000 for his third positive marijuana test.

The ludicrous ban was overturned this week, with the commission unanimously voting to cut the outspoken fighters punishment to 18 months with a $100,000 fine.

Brandao could learn the hard way – with his pocketbook, and perhaps even his prime fighting years – that the UFC means business with their enhanced testing.

And believe it or not, things could be even worse for Romero.

If the Cuban wrestler was flagged for a ‘non-specified substance’ – either anabolic steroids, human growth hormones, peptides, or blood doping drugs – he could receive a two-year suspension, with the possibility of up to four years for ‘aggravated circumstances’. Not to mention, a possible half-million dollar fine.

For Romero, at 38-year-of-age, a multi-year ban from competition could be a career-ending punishment.

At the very least, the muscle-bound middleweight contender would throw away any chance of fighting for UFC gold.

There’s no doubt that these punishments are harsh – and in the case of Brandao, perhaps even too harsh – but the UFC does deserve credit for investing millions into this system to clean up the sport.

It’s unheard of for a company that relies on pay-per-view revenue to fork over fistfuls of cash to catch and suspend cheaters.

In the short-term it could cost them a fortune, but the long term gamble could be worth the risk.