Brock Lesnar Tested Five Times by USADA in Two Weeks
Brock Lesnar Tested Five Times by USADA in Two Weeks
When Brock Lesnar announced that he'd be returning to fight at UFC 200, one question was on everyone's mind: How would he be treated under the new USADA-led
When Brock Lesnar announced that he'd be returning to fight at UFC 200, one question was on everyone's mind: How would he be treated under the new USADA-led UFC drug testing program?
Typically, fighters returning from retirement are required to undergo a four-month waiting period, where they are tested repeatedly by USADA, before they can be cleared to fight. However, the UFC's policy with USADA allows for special exemptions to be granted that waive the four month period. Lesnar was granted the exemption because he retired long before the new USADA rules went into effect. This led many to believe that the behemoth WWE superstar and former UFC heavyweight champion was being allowed to skirt the rules.
That is not the case.
In the previous two weeks since Lesnar was officially entered into the USADA testing pool, he has been randomly tested out of competition a total of five times. The news was first reported by Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com, and subsequently confirmed by FloCombat sources. Five tests in two weeks is unheard of since the USADA policy went into effect last July.
None of the test results have been returned as of publication time.
Raimondi spoke to UFC vice president of health and performance Jeff Novitzky. One facet of Novitzky's job is to oversee the testing program. Novitzky told Raimondi that Lesnar can expect even more tests between now and the date of the fight.
"I'd expect there are even more to come as well before UFC 200," Novitzky said.
Lesnar faces Mark Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200 on July 9. The event takes place at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Typically, fighters returning from retirement are required to undergo a four-month waiting period, where they are tested repeatedly by USADA, before they can be cleared to fight. However, the UFC's policy with USADA allows for special exemptions to be granted that waive the four month period. Lesnar was granted the exemption because he retired long before the new USADA rules went into effect. This led many to believe that the behemoth WWE superstar and former UFC heavyweight champion was being allowed to skirt the rules.
That is not the case.
In the previous two weeks since Lesnar was officially entered into the USADA testing pool, he has been randomly tested out of competition a total of five times. The news was first reported by Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com, and subsequently confirmed by FloCombat sources. Five tests in two weeks is unheard of since the USADA policy went into effect last July.
None of the test results have been returned as of publication time.
Raimondi spoke to UFC vice president of health and performance Jeff Novitzky. One facet of Novitzky's job is to oversee the testing program. Novitzky told Raimondi that Lesnar can expect even more tests between now and the date of the fight.
"I'd expect there are even more to come as well before UFC 200," Novitzky said.
Lesnar faces Mark Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200 on July 9. The event takes place at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.