Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn Pass Tests, but 'There's More Drug Usage in MMA Than Boxing'

Filed under: Boxing, Fighting, PEDs, MMA, MMA/BoxingDavid A Avila of MSNBC has a report on drug testing in mixed martial arts that provides some good news and some bad for the sport. First, the good: The two headliners for the main event in the upcoming UFC 84 show, Sean Sherk and B.J. Penn, were both administered unannounced drug tests last month, and both passed. Sherk was suspended and stripped of his lightweight title after he tested positive for steroids last year, and it would have been a huge black eye for UFC if he had failed another drug test.But here's the bad news: California State Athletic Commission executive officer Armando Garcia says the drug problems in mixed martial arts are real, and more significant than in boxing:"We have 120 shows in boxing and 60 in MMA and the numbers coming out are super high," said Garcia. "It's a no-brainer. There's more drug usage in MMA than boxing."As MMA gets more mainstream, drug use within the sport will get more scrutiny. The sport needs to be prepared for that scrutiny.Permalink | Email this | Comments more...