The UFC has found itself in a PR storm after the recent failed drug tests of star fighters Anderson Silva, Nick Diaz, and Hector Lombard in recent weeks.
Yet it seems that the company’s veteran commentator, Joe Rogan, is in no mood to help the news blow over, after he yesterday claimed, on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, that over half of MMA fighters are doping.
“The UFC and MMA in general is a steroid epidemic,” Said Rogan. “They’ve started this really stringent testing, and everybody is getting popped. They’re just getting popped left and right. It’s one of the things fighters have been saying for a long time, that everyone is on steroids, or a huge percentage. The number (is) 50%, 60%, whatever it is they’re on steroids.”
Rogan, who is a black belt in Taekwando and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, expressed that he could see why the athletes would succumb to steroid use, citing the physical strain of the intense training as the main reason.
“Fighters will sometimes train three times a day,” Rogan said. “Maybe they’ll run, do sprints in the morning, and then they’ll do some kind of strength and conditioning in the afternoon. Then they’ll do wrestling or jiu-jitsu at night. Then they’ll vary. The next day they might do kickboxing in the morning and running in the afternoon, then weight lifting at night.”
“There’s not enough time in the day, and there’s not enough time to recover. So that’s when comes in Dr. Feelgood. He comes along, and bang.”
But Rogan was quick to condemn the use of the drug, and brush aside claims that Anderson Silva’s supposed drug use was to help him return from injury.
“So if he’s 39 years old and he breaks his leg, you’re looking at a long-ass recovery period. Or you take steroids and you recover in nine months instead of 15 months or fill in the blank. That could be what’s going on, but the reality is it’s illegal. If it takes you 15 months, the excuse cannot be, ‘I’m going to take some illegal drugs so I heal quicker.’ No, you’re never allowed to take steroids.”
Which is a view most supporters of the sport, and any sport for that matter. Illegal drugs are so-called for a reason, and the only way to be busted is by cheating in the first place, and Rogan's stance on the issue only reaffirms the fact that it can't be tolerated, and no leniency should be afforded to those caught, regardless of talent levels, or extenuating circumstances.
Here is the full podcast, with Josh McDermitt from The Walking Dead, but if you don’t have three hours to spare, feel free to go ahead and skip to two hours and 15 minutes in to catch the rest of the conversation.
Via MMA Junkie
