Issue 090
July 2012
John Morgan, former Fighters Only World MMA Awards ‘Journalist of the Year’, wonders about the widespread use of PEDs in the sport.
While former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem’s recent time before the Nevada State Athletic Commission garnered the most attention, it was Shawn Fitzsimmons’ appointment that bothered me the most.
Sure, the drama that unfolded as Overeem and quack doctor Hector Molina addressed the commission was entertaining, to say the least, but with the accusations that have followed the ‘Demolition Man’ for much of his career, it seems like such a hearing was always inevitable. No, what bothered me was the case of journeyman fighter Fitzsimmons.
You see, Fitzsimmons is not a hulking mass of pure muscle. In fact, he’s a rather unassuming welterweight who, before this past November, had struggled through a 2-5 stretch on the regional scene, dropping his career record below .500. At 28 years old, Fitzsimmons’ hopes of achieving fame and notoriety on par with that of Overeem were certainly slipping away. At the same time, Fitzsimmons contends he was suffering from fatigue and lack of sexual performance and sought out treatment to address his concerns.
Fitzsimmons, a Las Vegas resident, visited the Vitality Health & Wellness Center in Sin City, where a nurse practitioner prescribed him a regimen of testosterone replacement therapy to treat a testicular issue. It’s a diagnosis that Fitzsimmons’ own attorney admits shouldn’t have been made without additional testing by a licensed endocrinologist. There is no record of Fitzsimmons’ testosterone level prior to treatment – the staff of the Vitality Health & Wellness Center didn’t consider that a priority – and therefore no way of justifying the need for treatment.
You can likely guess where the story goes from here. Fitzsimmons didn’t apply with the NSAC for a therapeutic use exemption, and he failed a pre-fight drug test for a November 2011 fight with Blas Avena, which came back positive for nandrolone metabolites. So why am I so bothered by Fitzsimmons indiscretion? Simple – if he has such a flagrant disregard for the system, ahead of a fight for a $3,600 purse, then just how widespread is this issue?
The use of performance-enhancing drugs is certainly not limited to mixed martial arts. Athletes in every sport are always trying to get bigger, stronger and faster through any means necessary. At the highest level of MMA, fighters are making millions of dollars per contest. The temptation to look for any edge possible in preparation for those fights is understandable (though it certainly isn’t justification for cheating). But to hear that a fighter struggling on the regional stage can walk into a questionable medical facility and walk out with what could be construed as a new lease on his career is a bit unnerving. This is not meant as a personal attack on Fitzsimmons, who by all accounts is a decent human being who simply made a terrible mistake. The NSAC ultimately suspended him for nine months, and he returned his $1,500 win bonus along with $630 of his show money – a 30% tax on the $2,100 base purse – leaving him with just $1,470 of his original $3,600 check. Instead, it’s simply the latest development in an alarming trend.
UFC president Dana White has made it perfectly clear he doesn’t have time to lead the effort against PED use in the sport. It’s an understandable position that has sometimes been mistakenly viewed as an apathetic stance against the issue. However, following April’s UFC 145 event in Atlanta, White admitted he’d be just fine with allowing an outside agency to assist in the monitoring,
Whatever it takes to get it right, here’s to hoping the situation is addressed as quickly – and completely – as possible.
‘Bones’ no joke, but 'The Spider' is still the GOAT
Speaking of UFC 145, the evening’s main event saw UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones earn a decisive five-round decision over former titleholder Rashad Evans.
And while the fight lacked a definitive finish that many fans hoped would put an end to the rivalry, Jones was in complete control for nearly all 25 minutes of the contest.
Incredibly, it was Jones’ fourth-straight win over a former UFC belt holder. It’s a feat that may never be matched, and some are saying that at just 24 years old, ‘Bones’ may be the greatest fighter in MMA history. I have no doubt that if he continues on the unprecedented run that he’s currently enjoying, he will retire as the greatest champion in the history of the sport, but for now that title still belongs to Anderson Silva.
Silva hasn’t defeated four former champions in his division, but that’s simply because there have only been four other middleweight champions: Rich Franklin, the late Evan Tanner, 45-year-old Murilo Bustamante and 37-year-old Dave Menne.
Six different fighters have held the UFC light heavyweight title since Silva laid claim to the middleweight belt in October 2006. It’s been an era of utter domination for Silva, and while Jones has embarrassed five top-ranked 205lb’ers in the past 14 months, it’s longevity that proves career greatness.
Jones’ 2011 ranks to me as single greatest calendar year in the history of MMA, and his 2012 started out on a great note, as well. But regardless of what you think of the 185lb division, Silva has dominated it for six years.
Jones is an incredible talent who looks destined for greatness. But let him prove his place over time. For now, the crown still rests on Silva’s head.
