MMA-URLS

MMA Junkie reports Nick Diaz has been suspended one year retroactive to February 4th per the Nevada State Athletic Commission ruling. In addition, Diaz was fined 30 percent of his UFC 137 fight purse which amounts to $60,000. The NSAC determined Diaz had failed his UFC 143 drug test and was less than truthful on his pre-fight medical questionnaire. Diaz’s attorney was unsuccessful in arguing that a showing of marijuana metabolites did not prove he had used it for in competition use and that the World Anti-Doping Agency code does not prohibit out of competition use of marijuana. Despite a medical witness on behalf of Diaz, the Commission handed down a 1 year suspension. The Commission indicated that there’s a strict liability standard that makes an athlete responsible for what’s in their body. However, according to the report by MMA Fighting, the Commission inferred that it would have entertained a usage exemption for Diaz’s use of marijuana based on his past medical history. Payout Perspective: The suspension is another chapter in the tumultuous career of Nick Diaz. It will definitely hurt Diaz’s career and the UFC’s welterweight division. The Nate Diaz-GSP matchup would have drawn considerable interest especially if it would have been slated for GSP’s return at UFC 154 in Montreal (assuming that’s when he comes back). The Diaz legal team put up a novel defense but in the end none of the legal wranglings could save Diaz from his fate. Worse for Diaz is that the legal efforts probably means a big legal bill in addition to his fine and suspension. Maybe Diaz will focus his time on triathlons, boxing or help out his brother. But, if and when Diaz returns, hopefully he matures and gets his act together. He’s an asset to the UFC and that’s why the UFC hasn’t bailed on him yet.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, year, commission, competition use

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The Nevada Athletic Commission voted on Monday to allow the use of testosterone replacement therapy by Chael Sonnen, granting him a therapeutic use exemption. Sonnen must comply with all testing requirements asked of him by the commission before and after his bout with Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 148. Bloody Elbow has [...]

Posted in: chael sonnen, sonnen, commission, use, nevada commission

Read the full article at MMA Convert

Turns out this town is big enough for the both of them after all. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight number one contender Chael Sonnen, who is scheduled to challenge Anderson Silva for the 185-pound title (again) at the upcoming UFC 148: "Silva vs. Sonnen II" pay-per-view (PPV) event on July 7, 2012 in Las Vegas, was granted a conditional Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) earlier today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). But he will be subjected to a battery of blood tests before and after the Fourth of July weekend fight card to monitor his intramuscular injections, which he applies himself, twice a week. He will also be limited in how close to fight night he can administer his last injection prior to competing. Sonnen, who reportedly suffers from hypogonadism (his nads are sperm challenged), was bagged and tagged by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) back in August 2010 for improperly disclosing his Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) prior to his first "Spider" fight in Oakland. This time, apparently, his papers were (mostly) in order. Sonnen was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) last year for fabricating testimony in a previous hearing while accounting for his failed drug test at UFC 117 -- not to mention his felony conviction in Oregon for money laundering. Part of his defense strategy was dropping NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer's name in reference to conversations they (never) had about policy and procedure as it related to his TRT. Sonnen said today it was merely "bad information" from his ex-manager, but has since properly disclosed his TRT use (which began back in 2008) to athletic commissions prior to competing in the states of Illinois at UFC on FOX 2 and Texas at UFC 136. The NSAC has requested a copy of those disclosures as part of his conditional TUE. He further stated, under oath, that he's never taken anabolic steroids. Phase one of operation "Silva vs. Sonnen II" is now complete. For more on his upcoming title fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 148 click here. To read more from his hearing today in front of the NSAC check out our live blog and real-time updates here.

Posted in: ufc, fight, sonnen, commission, nsac

Read the full article at MMA Mania

MMA Payout has learned that the Oklahoma PPV tax has been declared unconstitutional by the state Attorney General of Oklahoma.  The tax has been challenged by the UFC as it threatened litigation prior to a review of the issue by the Oklahoma AG. In an email correspondence to MMA Payout, a representative from state representative Tom Newell’s office stated that after extensive research and legal analysis of the issue, an attorney on behalf of the Athletic Commission concluded that the law could not be successfully defended. Representative Newell is sponsoring SB1533, a bill that would grant the Oklahoma Athletic Commission $200,000 to fund combat sports in the state. “SB1533 Oklahoma Athletic Commission PPV law is assigned to a conference committee with language deleting the unconstitutional fee.  We don’t anticipate having any problems,” stated Representative Newell in an email to MMA Payout.  Thus, despite striking down the tax, SB1533 should pick up for the loss of the tax revenue. Below is the fiscal analysis from the Conference Committee Report from today: The measure deletes the State Athletic Commission’s Gross Receipts Assessment as it pertains to certain telecasts and pay-per-views.  Prevailing legal opinion is that these assessments are unenforceable therefore; the measure brings current statutes into conformity with the prevailing legal opinion.  The Commission expects to loose (sic) approximately $240,000 annually in revenue as a result of the assessment no longer being collected; however this fiscal impact is not a result of HB 2746, but a result of the legal determination that the assessment is unenforceable.  The measure has no direct fiscal impact on the State Budget or Appropriations Payout Perspective: MMA Payout will have more on this news in the coming days.  It may have boiled down to an analysis of the Dormant Commerce Clause as it affected interstate commerce.  According to representative Newell’s office, the tax had been thoroughly examined by the state’s attorneys to determine the constitutionality of the law. The good news is that it looks like combat sports will continue in Oklahoma.

Posted in: payout, commission, state, oklahoma, tax

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The highly-anticipated Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen rematch scheduled for UFC 148 this summer isn’t exactly a go just yet. Next Monday, May 21, the Nevada State Athletic Commission will determine whether or not Sonnen will be granted a therapeutic use exemption for testosterone replacement therapy, allowing the fighter to supplement his hormone levels with synthetic testosterone. Though TRT is legal, an athlete must be determined as medically in need of the treatment to be on it during competition. After Sonnen first challenged Silva for the title, at UFC 117 in 2010, Sonnen registered an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 16.9:1 (well above California’s limit of 4:1) and was eventually suspended for that and for improperly disclosing his usage of TRT to the athletic commission. If his request is granted, Sonnen will become only the fourth fighter to ever be granted a TUE for TRT by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Nick Diaz is also listed on the NSAC’s Monday docket, up last for his disciplinary hearing over testing positive for marijuana metabolites following his UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit. MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, sonnen, nevada state, commission, testosteronetoepitestosterone ratio

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In the latest salvo between the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Nick Diaz, the Nevada attorney general's office, on behalf of the commission, has filed a document opposing a request for an injunction against the fighter's temporary suspension. The document argues that Diaz can't take legal action until the commission makes a final ruling on his disciplinary complaint. According to the commission, it has been held up by both the absence of evidence that the attorney general requested and the fighter's initial challenge of his failed drug test.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nevada state, commission, diaz cant

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

Nick Diaz's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the Nevada State Athletic Commission last week for failing to hold a hearing over Diaz's suspension. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his loss to Carlos Condit, since that time we've been treated to a lot of legal nonsense about why it should be okay that Diaz tested positive for substances you're not allowed to test positive for. The NSAC responded to the Diaz lawsuit via a letter, effectively killing the entire basis of Nick's legal action. MMA Fighting got their hands on the letter and here's a bit of what it contained: "No Notice of Summary Suspension was ever served on your client," Masto wrote. "In this matter, Mr. Diaz was properly served with a 'Notice of Hearing on Temporary Suspension' and he failed to appear at the hearing. The Commission temporarily suspended Mr. Diaz's license at the hearing. Neither Mr. Diaz nor you objected in any manner to the temporary suspension." The letter effectively indicates that because Diaz was not given a "summary suspension," his case does not fall under Nevada code NRS 233B.127, which requires a hearing within 45 days. A separate code, NRS 467.117, indicates that the commission can " continue the suspension until it makes a final determination of any disciplinary action to be taken against the licensee or holder of the permit." That final determination still hasn't been made, in part because the commission requested to see Nick's medical marijuana card over a month ago, yet no one on Nick's side has presented it. In the end, Diaz's defense has always kind of been nonsense. I get that people like Nick and that marijuana being illegal to begin with is silly. But it's not like the testing procedures are particularly murky for the NSAC. Fighters are aware of what substances are and aren't allowed to pop up in your urinalysis. And if you think one may because you're using it for a legitimate reason, there are procedures you are supposed to follow to disclose it and request an exemption. Diaz never followed any of that, instead bragging for years about how easy it is to beat the test. I've said it before, but his behavior didn't exactly reflect someone who was looking to handle the situation in the best possible way. He acted like a little kid sticking his tongue out at authority because they couldn't prove he did anything wrong. Now he has a legal team stumbling around and doing things that seem to be really on point, but that's usually because we don't have a deep legal understanding. All the stuff about NRS 233B.127 seemed like they were on to something, but that's because no one dug through the codes to see that NRS 467.117 effectively destroyed the "due process" argument. And the commission has made no secret for the past month that they're waiting on Diaz's team to show them his medical marijuana card so that they have all available information before deciding on his punishment. Why has no one provided that yet? The whole situation is a mess and, frankly, kind of embarrassing. Count me among those excited for it to just be done already.

Posted in: diaz, nick, suspension, commission, hearing

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UFC welterweight Nick Diaz has filed suit in Nevada District Court against the Nevada Athletic Commission, requesting relief from his ongoing suspension and any future disciplinary action by the NAC.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, commission, nevada

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Despite having his issues with another state athletic commission, Nick Diaz has no problems with New Jersey’s athletic commission, as the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board will allow Diaz to corner his brother Nate at UFC on Fox 3 in East Rutherford on May 5th. Nate is fighting in the main event against Jim Miller in a five-round affair to determine the number one contender in the lightweight division. Nick Diaz is currently under suspension with the Nevada Athletic Commission following a failed drug test after UFC 143 in February. However, the NJSACB will not hold that against Diaz, as they have issued a corner’s license for next weekend’s fight. This was first reported by MMAWeekly. This news comes just hours after Diaz and his representatives announced that they are suing the Nevada Athletic Commission due to the way the commission has handled Nick Diaz’s case following his suspension. Diaz was originally set to meet with the NSAC at the scheduled meeting on April 24th, but the NSAC denied that opportunity. UFC on Fox 3 takes place next Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For complete coverage, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, commission, control board

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

UFC welterweight Nick Diaz has filed a lawsuit against the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for alleged violations of statutory law and his Constitutional rights to Due Process. Diaz, acting through his lawyer Ross C. Goodman, filed it in Nevada on Tuesday, April 24th. Diaz's motion for a preliminary injunction was filed today. The lawsuit is related to a failed drug test by Diaz that was conducted by the NSAC. It was announced on Feb. 9th the Stockton, Calif. native tested positive for marijuana metabolites from a test administered after his UFC 143 bout with Carlos Condit. He was subsequently given a summary suspension by the NSAC. The suit is asking the court to immediately stay the summary suspension handed out to Diaz by the NSAC as well as to enjoin the NSAC from going ahead in any further disciplinary proceedings. Diaz's complaint also asks the court to declare his due process rights have been violated by the NSAC's failure to promptly convene a hearing to determine the merits of the disciplinary complaint against him. Diaz's suit centers on three allegations, two of which relate to statutory complaints for which he seeks injunctive relief -- namely, to have the temporary suspension lifted and to not be required to go any further punitive proceedings. The other allegation focuses on Diaz's due process rights, the NSAC's violation of which entitles Diaz to both injunctive and declaratory relief, according to the lawsuit. Diaz is arguing the NSAC is in violation of two statutory codes. First, statutory code NRS 233B, requires the commission to determine the outcome through proceedings related to the order of a summary suspension within 45 days of the date of the suspension. Diaz and his lawyers argue this term has passed without any date set for a hearing. "Diaz's license has, in effect, been suspended indefinitely," says the lawsuit, "in the absence of any adverse findings having been made against him by the NSAC." "Under NRS 233B.127, which applies to all revocations, suspensions, annulments and withdrawals of licenses (including licenses issued by the NSAC), [p]roceedings relating to the order of summary suspension must be instituted and determined within 45 days after the date of the [suspension] unless the agency and the licensee mutually agree in writing to a longer period." The lawsuit claims Diaz and his lawyers made repeated attempts to reach the NSAC to obtain a formal hearing to finally adjudicate the NSAC's complaint without any response from Executive Director of the NSAC Keith Kizer. Diaz's complaint also cites breach of statute NRS 467.117, which requires that a "temporary suspension may be made only where the action is necessary to protect the public welfare". In other words, Diaz's temporary suspension is unlawful because no basis has been established that demonstrates suspending Diaz was done as a matter of preserving public health. Citing the alleged violation of these two statutes by the NSAC, Diaz's complaint asks the court to enjoin NSAC from proceeding with any further punitive proceedings because "the NSAC has lost statutory jurisdiction to proceed with the complaint." The former Strikeforce welterweight champion is also claiming his Constitutional rights to due process were violated by the NSAC's lack of action in the face of temporary suspension. As it relates to due process, Diaz's complaint argues "The Due Process Clause requires that a statutory provision permitting a temporary suspension pending final determination requires a promptly convened final hearing to determine the merits of a disciplinary complaint."More than two months have passed since the temporary suspension of Diaz's license was effected by the NSAC, yet "the NSAC has still not convened a hearing. Nor has a hearing been scheduled. Accordingly, the NSAC's application of NRS 233B.l27 and/or NRS 467.117 is an unconstitutional deprivation of Diaz's due process rights." To be clear, Diaz's lawsuit is not asking the court to make a determination about the merits of the commission's original complaint against him for testing positive for marijuana metabolites, but the effects could still be far reaching. If the court agrees with Diaz's complaint, it could limit the commission's ability to effect temporary suspensions and alter other commission practices with respect to all fighters who compete in the state of Nevada. Such a possibility makes Diaz's lawsuit novel in MMA for two reasons. No MMA fighter has ever sued an athletic commission, although boxers have done so on numerous occasions. More importantly, Diaz's lawsuit writ large would challenge the very method by which the NSAC is allowed to temporarily suspend all fighters and hold them subject to further review. Seemingly for the first time in history, an athlete is asking a court to put under a microscope the commission's practices and is asking a court to find those practices unlawful in a way that would force a major shift for the commission to continue its oversight responsibilities. Diaz's motion for a preliminary injunction staying the suspension and the NSAC's disciplinary proceedings is set to be heard on Monday, May 14th. The entire complaint from Diaz's lawyer is available for viewing. The motion for preliminary injunction, including Diaz's sworn affidavit, is also available. In that sworn affidavit, Diaz states he is 'immediately' prepared to fight again if his summary suspension is lifted. "On February 7th, 2012, the UFC's President publicly announced that Mr. Condit agreed to an immediate rematch against me. It is my understanding that the winner of that rematch will be offered a contest against Georges St-Pierre, the current UFC welterweight champion," said Diaz. "The summary suspension against me, made without any consideration of the merits of the Complaint, is the only reason I am aware of that a rematch against Mr Condit has not been scheduled. If the summary suspension is set aside, I would be prepared to compete against Mr. Condit or against any other opponent deemed suitable immediately."

Posted in: diaz, suspension, commission, complaint, nsac

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WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- If UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem, who was recently handed a nine-month suspension due to the elevated levels of testosterone, wants to continue with an MMA career, he better get used to drug testing more than ever, according to UFC president Dana White."I’ll tell you what, if he didn’t like being tested before, wait until he sees what his life is like now," White said between bites of a burger at a media luncheon at The Palm restaurant. "He’s going to be tested all the time." White was in Brazil on Tuesday during the Nevada Athletic Commission hearing and was mostly out of the loop until he came back to the United States. In that meeting, Overeem claimed he didn’t know what was in an anti-inflammatory given to him by Dr. Hector Oscar Molina. Overeem, who had already been pulled out of his planned title shot at heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, was suspended nine months."I just found this out this morning," said White. "I landed at four in the morning, I didn’t know what the hell happened. Apparently, he got suspended for nine months and he said he was taking anti-inflammatory shots. Well, you should have gone in and told the commission that before you got drug tested. You don’t say it after you get busted for elevated testosterone levels. Period. Pretty simple. The rules are cut and clear."If you are taking anything, at all, you tell the commission. If you are taking too many aspirin a day, tell the commission ‘I’m taking nine aspirin a day because my neck hurts.’ I’m taking anti-inflammatory,’ ‘I’m on TRT,’ whatever."Overeem’s suspension runs through Dec. 27. While some Internet conspiracy theorists have noted the UFC regularly runs big events in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve weekend, and technically, Overeem could be in the clear to fight on that card, that’s highly unlikely from a logistical standpoint. Overeem would not be able to re-apply for a license in Nevada until after his suspension is up, and big events require months of advance planning and legwork.White is willing to wait and see how things play out with the disgraced fighter. But he can’t hide his anger at how things went down."He’s gonna have to do a suspension," White said. "We’ll see what happens. I’m just pissed off that he lied to us."I am not an Alistair Overeem fan at all."

Posted in: overeem, suspension, commission, card thatrsquos, antiinflammatory shots

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UFC president Dana White went on the Jim Rome radio show today and answered questions regarding the suspension of UFC Heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem. Perhaps the most interesting comment Dana made was his admission that he hadn't heard the outcome of Overeem's hearing yesterday before the Nevada State Athletic Commission until Rome told him. White has been traveling a great deal. He returned from Brazil to Los Angeles yesterday and is headed home to Las Vegas today. In Brazil he announced the move of the UFC Middleweight championship bout between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen from Brazil's UFC 147 to UFC 148 in Las Vegas. Related Posts: Alistair Overeem License Denied By NSAC, Unable To Reapply For 9 Months | Alistair Overeem's Doctor Has A Very Interesting Background | Alistair Overeem Live NSAC Hearing Updates Rome wasted no time in cutting to the chase and immediately got White on the record regarding Overeem. It wasn't pretty. Dana's comments after the jump... Jim Rome: Dana Alistair Overeem failed a random drug test for elevated testosterone last month. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended him for 9 months. What was your reaction when you first heard it? Dana White:Actually I didn't hear it until you just told me right this second. Rome: You don't know that story? White: I'm in Los Angeles. I was in Brazil yesterday with Anderson Silva. I landed at 4 in the morning. I flew like 22 hours yesterday. I flew down to Miami and then to Rio and back to L.A. So it's the first I'd heard that. I knew he was going before the Commission but I didn't know what happened. Rome: So what is your reaction to that? White: I wasn't very optimistic about his chances. I didn't think things were going to turn out very well for him. So as expected. 9 months? 9 months isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Rome: What did you expect? White: I thought he'd get a year, easily a year. Rome: So he blamed it on elevated levels of anti-inflammatory meds he was taking at the time. White: Here's the rules. If that's the case, if he was on anti-inflammatories meds, whatever the deal was, you're supposed to disclose that to the commission before the test whatever you're taking. You're supposed to disclose that to the commission before the test not after the test. Rome: Am I allowed to say this Dana? It sounds like garbage. White: I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan at all. You're not going to hear me on your radio show defending Alistair Overeem believe me. Rome: So is that going to cost him his spot with your company? White: I don't know. We'll see. We'll see what happens man. You know he went before the commission and the commission gave him 9 months. I'm sure he's going to have to go in and get tested again. Before he went in there he sat down to lunch with me and my partner looked us in the face and said 'I'm the most tested athlete in all of sports they can test me whenever they want to." Well he flew in for the press conference, they tested him and now he's on a 9 month suspension. Rome: Do you feel he lied to you? White: I do yea. I know he lied to me. Rome: I'm guessing you don't like guys lying to you Dana. White: I don't like it. You know you sit down and you have these guys that you do business with and you say let's sit down, be honest with me and let's figure out how we can work together. And then they sit there and lie to your face. I don't know. Not the kind of guys I want to do business with. Rome: He may have been the most tested athletes in your sport but now he's one of the most suspended athletes in your sport. White: Yeah. So we'll see what happens. I've been on the road non-stop. I just got into L.A. and I get into Vegas tonight. I don't really know the full story of what went down but we'll figure out what happens from here. Latest From Our Partners Latest From Our Partners 10 Fighters With Most To Lose This Year (BR) 25 Best Finishers in MMA Today (BR) Alexander Gustafsson And 10 Fighters Who Will Earn A Title Shot (BR) 12 Most Memorable Moments In LHW History (BR) The Most Underrated Fighter In Each MMA Division (BR)

Posted in: overeem, dana, month, commission, rome

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

After the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) ruled that UFC Heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem would be eligible to reapply for licensing in nine months rather than the expected year, there was a good deal of criticism leveled their way in the MMA media. Overeem, his attorney and Dr. Hector Molina testified that Molina had injected Overeem with an anti-inflammatory concoction containing testosterone in January then given Overeem the vial and instructed him on how to inject himself. Despite numerous gaping holes in Molina's testimony and the fact that the rules are very explicit that the fighter is solely responsible for any substance put into his body, the commissioners praised the "superlative" presentation and praised Overeem after the hearing. Many members of the MMA media were not impressed. Yahoo! writer Kevin Iole probably took the hardest tack in his piece headlined "Alistair Overeem's PED punishment reduced by Nevada commission, which didn't take a stand": To make a statement that ridding combat sports of performance-enhancing drugs is vital to the safety of those who compete without cheating, Nevada governor Brian Sandoval ought to fire the five members of the state's athletic commission....The commission, described by butt-smooching promoters and managers as being "the greatest commission in the world," utterly failed to make a decision Tuesday that would have conveyed it takes the issue seriously.... The only explanation for why the commission would opt to be lenient and break its own rules is money. Overeem has become a big attraction, and having him fight in Nevada on one of the biggest shows of the year had to be attractive to the commissioners. We'll hear from more writers including Ben Fowlkes and Zach Arnold after the jump... MMA Fighting's Ben Fowlkes wasn't quite as harsh as Iole: ...let's be very clear: accountability is what we're after. It's also what's completely missing so far. Overeem refuses to take any real responsibility for his testosterone levels, since it was all his doctor's fault. The doctor doesn't want the blame, so he claims he can't remember whether he and his patient had a conversation about the course of treatment they were about to begin. Overeem's lawyer tried to convince the NSAC that it wasn't a big deal anyway, because he was only using the mystery injection to treat an injury, which, by the way, he sustained while entertaining the masses. In other words, stop worrying about what's in the man's bloodstream and just enjoy the show. What's really amazing is that, despite its decision to keep Overeem out of action for at least the next nine months, the NSAC seemed partially moved by this argument. Commission members actually referred to Tuesday's ridiculous buck-passing session as a "superlative" presentation, and they couldn't stop praising Overeem for being such an all-around good guy through it all. Yes, he tried to avoid yet another drug test, according to NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, but he had a good excuse. Matter of fact, he had several. And sure, he engaged the services of a doctor most of us wouldn't trust to treat an ingrown toenail, but at least he showed up at the hearing and didn't call any of the commissioners ugly names on Twitter afterward. Apparently that counts for a lot. ...(Overeem) must think MMA fans are either too dumb to realize how ludicrous his defense was or too jaded to care. I hope he's wrong about that. Or maybe I'm just afraid of what it will mean for our sport if he turns out to be right. Zach Arnold engages in some informed speculation as to the genesis of Overeem's story at yesterday's hearing: Over the last few weeks, Dave Meltzer has reported on a number of scenarios that Alistair Overeem's camp was allegedly going to pursue in order to stay out of hot water over his failed ‘random' drug test in Nevada due to high T/E levels. According to Dave, the first story was going to involve a plea for Testosterone Replacement Therapy. However, Overeem had given the NSAC blood test results instead of urine test results last November. When Bas Rutten alluded to Overeem getting clearance, I suspect this is what he was talking about. Plus, Overeem had passed previous urine tests from Nevada. So, according to Dave, this strategy fell apart. The second story allegedly was going to involve a ‘Viagra defense', citing a need for Viagra & testosterone due to impotence. However, as widely reported in media circles (such as the BBC), Viagra is not recommended for those with low testosterone levels. Which leads us to yesterday's explanation, where Overeem claimed that a doctor gave him an anti-inflammatory medication that was supposedly mixed with testosterone. You can make of this what you will. Personally I think the NSAC should be commended to some degree for having the resourcefulness and will to subject Overeem to random testing. He's fought in plenty of jurisdictions and undergone either scheduled testing (Missouri) or only nominal testing (Texas) so Nevada ends up looking like the proverbial one-eyed man in the kingdom of the blind. The webs of conflict of interest, hypocrisy and anti-drug hysteria are far too tangled for any commission to unravel. They put a speed bump in front of Alistair Overeem and cost him a title shot and potentially millions of dollars. Let's not go asking public servants in our completely corrupt society to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Posted in: overeem, commission, testosterone, nevada, nsac

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

The Nevada State Athletic Commission voted today to deny Alistair Overeem a license after his failed March 27 drug test. The commission and Overeem’s representation engaged in a back-and-forth exchange of allegation and explanation for the majority of the meeting. Overeem was not given the maximum time until he could seek a license, but the suspension will end just short of a year since his last UFC fight. One of the biggest surprises in the hearing came from NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, as he Kizer stated that Overeem actually left the March 27 after finding out about the drug tests. This revelation called into question Overeem’s insistence that he never knowingly took the testosterone. Overeem’s camp denied he left due to the drug test and he insisted that he left because he did not want to be publicly served with papers by his former management team, Golden Glory. Overeem stated the test was the result of a shot given by Dr. Hector Molina to assist him in healing an injury before the fight. Dr. Molina testified that he gave Overeem a shot of B-12, texamethazone, keterolec and testosterone but stated, under oath, that he could not remember telling Overeem if there was testosterone in the shot or not. NSAC officials called this into question since Overeem knew he was subject to testing and believed him competent enough to take responsibility for what he took. While it appeared that the commission took it easy on Overeem by not suspending him for a full year, Overeem cannot fight anywhere during this time as a condition of not being licensed. The commission also discussed that not being able to fight at UFC 146 was actually a bigger penalty than if he had been caught after the fight since they would be bound by only taking a percentage of his purse, rather than the entire purse. Based on Overeem’s last fight at UFC 141, Overeem is losing out on around $1 million dollars when you include his base pay of $385,000, his per-fight signing bonus around $333,000, and his cut of PPV sales. Overeem will not be allowed to apply for a license until December 27, just short of a year since UFC 141.

Posted in: ufc, fight, overeem, commission, license

Read the full article at MMA Frenzy

The commission just ruled that AO is out for nine months from Mar. 27th, after which time he could get a licence after passing a drug test. submitted by wbrooks88 [link] [13 comments]

Posted in: month, commission, drug test, ão, wbrook

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While he's no longer scheduled to appear in the main event of UFC 146 against Junior dos Santos next month, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Alistair Overeem is still expected to appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today (April 24, 2012) at 12 p.m. ET. Overeem's management yesterday sent out a press release that blamed his 14:1 T/E ratio, which is more than twice the state's maximum allowable limit, on an anti-inflammatory he'd been taking for a rib injury that just so happened to be laced with testosterone. It is not 100 percent known today whether Overeem will actually state his case before the commission or if he'll be officially withdrawing his license application and asking for a continuation. Whichever occurs, MMAmania.com will be LIVE, updating all the details on the happenings of the commission hearing today. We'll have complete updates of the hearing after the jump: Brian Hemminger here. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET.

Posted in: overeem, today, commission, hearing, antiinflammatory hed

Read the full article at MMA Mania

As executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, Keith Kizer plays a powerful role in the regulation of mixed martial arts.

Posted in: fight night, commission, nevada, keith, executive director

Read the full article at Sherdog

If Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White has a shit list, you can bet embattled Heavyweight striker Alistair Overeem is right at the tippity-top of it. "Demolition Man" blew up the UFC 146 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card on May 26, 2012 after failing a surprise pre-fight drug test. While the former Strikeforce, DREAM and K-1 champ blames his elevated testosterone on anti-inflammatory meds, he still needs to clear the air with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) at a hearing on April 24. But will this most recent transgression cost him his job? White explains his position to media members during the UFC 145 press conference festivities (via MMA Interviews): "I'm still angry. I'm not angry at the commission, the commission is doing there job. That's what they do. I sat down in a room with Alistair and he told me 'They can test me anytime they want, I'm the most tested athlete in all of sports.' We'll see what happens, I don't know (if he'll be cut). This isn't really my deal. I have not (talked to him personally) and I will not. When an athletic commission, whether its Nevada or New Jersey or whoever it is, suspends somebody or does whatever, denies them a license, we follow. We ran towards regulation, we wanna be regulated." Hear more from White on his relationship with Overeem, including why he believes he can still do business with him, after the jump. Reminder: Overeem is expected to appear in front of the NSAC tomorrow (April 24) in an effort to plead his case and pave the way for future licensing. Be sure to keep it locked in to MMAmania.com for our live blog and real-time updates of "The Reem's" hearing beginning at Noon ET.

Posted in: overeem, alistair overeem, commission, i dont, nsac

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Nick Diaz will have to wait a bit longer to find resolution, as the UFC welterweight has not been placed on the Nevada Athletic Commission’s April 24 agenda. Sherdog.com confirmed Wednesday with Keith Kizer, executive director of the NAC, that the commission plans to hold Diaz’s hearing at a later date.

Posted in: diaz, commission, ufc welterweight, nac, commission plans

Read the full article at Sherdog

A tersely worded letter from Nick Diaz's camp demanding to be placed on the agenda for next week's Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting was unsuccessful. The Nevada attorney general issued a response on Monday that states the fighter's appeal won't proceed without a medical-marijuana card previously agreed to be admitted in the commission proceedings. Diaz's appeal of a suspension the NSAC issued thus has been tabled and isn't on the agenda for the commission's April 24 meeting in Las Vegas.

Posted in: diaz, commission, nevada attorney, medicalmarijuana card, fighters appeal

Read the full article at MMA Junkie

FanPost edited and promoted by MMAmania.com. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos had his UFC 146 title defense against Alistair Overeem put in jeopardy when "Demolition Man" flunked a surprise pre-fight drug test, one that revealed a 14:1 testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio for the hulking Dutchman. Team Overeem isn't worried. In fact, his manager Glenn Robinson recently dropped some knowledge on Inside MMA reporter Ron Kruck, informing him that media reports of Overeem testing with "elevated" testosterone levels are simply untrue. They weren't elevated, Robinson insists, they were "off," and "The Reem" has a "reasonable explanation for why that is." That could explain why Overeem is "confident" heading into his April 24 hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), where he expects to be approved to fight "Cigano" at the May 26 pay-per-view (PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kruck breaks it all down, after the jump. "I did speak to Glenn Robinson his manager, and he said that Overeem is respectful for the Commission's process, and he is very hopeful that he will be granted his license. The entire team is very confident that he will be facing Junior dos Santos, come May 26. Now, Robinson also wanted to make it very clear that despite other reports, Overeem did not test high for testosterone. Rather, his testosterone-to-epitesosterone ratio was off, and he has a reasonable explanation for why that is, which he will present to the Commission, next Tuesday." Kruck also spoke to NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer on the matter: "Kizer confirmed several things. Overeem has applied for a license to fight in the state, and he will have an opportunity to present his case to the Commission, on why he should be granted that license, despite failing his pre-fight drug test. Now, some have speculated that Oveeem may use the defense of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), as a defense we have seen several fighters use before, but speaking to Kizer, he has said Overeem has not applied for a TRT exemption. That doesn't mean he still can't. He has time to do that. As long as he does so and gives the Commission's doctors reasonable time to deal with the situation." When notified of his test results, Overeem elected not to have his "B" sample tested and instead immediately filed for his fight license. His hearing to determine whether or not he will be able to participate in the main event of the promotion's Memorial Day weekend extravaganza will also answer some other lingering questions -- like who is expected to take his place against the Brazilian champion should he be turned away. Stay tuned. For more on Overeem's fighting future click here. Poll What could Overeem's defense be for the NSAC? Nobody told me about the test I was born with Low T, just like Chael... I wasn't on TRT, the Horse I ate was.   117 votes | Results

Posted in: overeem, test, defense, commission, license

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Could Muhammed Lawal, who was released from the Strikeforce promotion after lashing out at the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), one day return and fight again under the ZUFFA banner? Well, yes and Mo. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White isn't taking a firm stance either way, following the former Light Heavyweight Champion's sentence, which equates to $39,000 and a nine month suspension after testing positive for Drostanolone on the heels of his Jan. 7 win no contest over Lorenz Larkin. "King Mo" has since apologized for calling NSAC Chairperson Pat Lundvall a "racist bitch," and as White points out, it's all in how you handle yourself after you make a mistake. From Whoa! TV: "Yeah, King Mo. Here's the thing with that. Some of the dummies in the press started talking about me cutting him as if this was something between me and him. What people have to understand is this is way bigger than me and him. First of all, this guy's an unlicensed fighter. He just got busted for using something. Everybody has their due process, he'll have his day before the commission. He went before the commission and they said 'We're suspending you for nine months' and he got whatever was handed down to him. He has to go before the Nevada State Athletic Commission again before he can get licensed. That is not gonna be a fun day for him, I would have to imagine. Everybody make mistakes and it's all in how you handle yourself after you make those mistakes. I'm not Mr. Perfect. I've made a lot of mistake myself and I will make more." More from the UFC boss after the jump. For more on King Mo's recent troubles with the NSAC click here.

Posted in: nevada state, commission, mo, king, mistake

Read the full article at MMA Mania

In the fight business, there are three kinds of people - fight people, business people and government people. Each crowd has its own specific interests at heart and works in concert with or even at loggerheads with the other groups to get things done in the fight business. Somehow, all this mostly works out in the long run and we have the fight business we see today. The government people - better known as commission members, judges, inspectors and so on - are charged with regulating the fight business in the interests of fighter safety and endeavor to keep the sport within the bounds of legality and athletic fair play. Most times, the only headlines they make is when a decision goes awry, a fight is derailed or when one of the fight people crosses those legal bounds and the kabuki drama of suspensions, hearings, appeals and statements begins. While at the Combative Sports Symposium on April 6, 2012 in Morristown, New Jersey, Commissioner Aaron Davis of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and Deputy Attorney General Nick Lembo graciously shared their time with me to answer a few questions. Commissioner Davis primarily works with the boxing side of the fight business, while D.A.G. Lembo runs the MMA and Muay Thai side of things. Below is a selection of questions and answers from both interviews: Ben Thapa: In your opening remarks to the crowd, you mentioned that you were a commission member in Kansas as well before the move to New Jersey. Why the strong interest in being a commission member and enforcing these rules and regulations? Aaron Davis: I was the boxing commissioner in Kansas and when the opportunity here opened up, I thought it was a great decision to move to New Jersey, where I'm from. As for what really spurs me on is what we see in the fight world at times. You see boxers and fighters get taken advantage of. You see people taking fights before they are ready to and those things hurt them and the sport. As a commissioner, I can do something about that. I can hopefully work to keep combat sports healthy and strong. BT: Has this attention to rules and regulations hurt New Jersey in terms of events being held here? AD: No, I do not think so. Right now, we are covering more boxing and MMA events than in years before. We had over 100 events in 2011 and things look good for this year as well. I feel that promotions, trainers and fighters know that the standards are in place with fighter safety in mind and that this is a good place to fight, where the officials are knowledgeable and things go as they should. We have fighters from all over the country and the world coming in here and things go well for them. BT: Has NJ ever given a conditional license like the one Alistair Overeem received in Nevada for the Brock Lesnar fight with the post-fight drug testing and so on? AD: New Jersey has not given out a conditional license like that. We would not let the fight go on as it did there, we would not do that type of license. We would work with the fighters and the promotion to go through our regular licensing procedure for the fight to happen. BT: In regards to the drug testing regimen, does NJSACB have the funds and the legal authority to test all the athletes it wants to and when it wants to? AD: We do test constantly and we do have those funds and authority. We let the fighters know what tests they have to do and we get those done. BT: How random are the tests and how long do fighters have to comply with the requests? AD: It depends. It depends on the fighter, it depends on what they are taking, it depends on when the proposed fight is and quite a few other things too. It varies in each situation. There are many variables here involved in our testing programs. BT: Several times, the commission members and doctors present have emphasized a shadowing program for commission officials. Why is this particularly important to the NJSACB? AD: There is a certain expertise required of doctors that are ringside. I do not think it is fair to ask a doctor untrained or unprepared to step in as the primary physician at ringside. These are difficult decisions that these physicians are making and based on familiarity and knowledge. We would rather have an introduction for these newer medical professionals to follow someone who already knows these places, how fights go and how to handle these decisions. I think it is important for them to not only see the medical side, but to see the demeanor and performance of these professional athletes. BT: Do you [the commission] track the performance of these ringside physicians? AD: We have probably some of the best ringside physicians anywhere. Here in New Jersey, the doctors and commission members generally all know each other, as it's a relatively small community. When you narrow it down to doctors who do sports medicine, that community gets even smaller. We have managed to cultivate a strong group of sports medicine doctors here in New Jersey. We generally do not use new doctors and they have to have some kind of record of interactions with us. They can say that they've been the doctor here or there, but what we look for is whether they have worked with us before in the past and go from there. We do not track this doctor or that doctor, as that wouldn't be fair to them or to us. BT: So how do you evaluate the in-ring performance of these doctors? AD: No, no, no. We don't really evaluate the doctors we have now in terms of in-ring performance. Wow. We don't do that right now. BT: Ok, so does the commission evaluate referees or judges in terms of in-fight performances? Does the commission speak to the judges about what to look for, scoring guidelines and so on? There was a recent controversy with the most recent Pacquiao fight and judges there. Do you think he won that fight? AD: Well, as a Commissioner, I am not going to say "win" or "loss". However, those judges may have to go back and re-evaluate their views of scoring guidelines and act accordingly in the future. We have seminars - one in November, actually, for boxing judges - where we talk about issues and criteria. We try to separate the boxing things from the mixed martial arts things in terms of judges because some of the issues in boxing are very different from those in MMA and vice versa. We go over with these officials all of the basic things and we get a lot of feedback from the boxing guys on what are things to look for, fouls, interpretations and so on. BT: Is there a sort of commission wish-list that you have in mind for the long-term future? AD: I would very much like to see all the commissions in all combat sports, New Jersey, Nevada, Florida, Texas and so on, be working on the same processes and our officials are beyond reproach. What I mean by that is that I want us to get a place where we can educate all our officials to the same high standard and whether you fight in this place or that place, everything is the same process - medicals, licensing and so on. When you have an NBA game, where Chicago plays Miami, everything is the same. The court is the court, the hoop is ten feet tall and the officials have generally the same standards. When combat sports is like that, with everything the same and everything is transparent, that is what I'd like to see all states doing. BT: How big of a legislative or political priority is combat sports in New Jersey? AD: I would say very low. BT: Are you sort of the forgotten people right now? AD: I would say so. I'm saying that because there are so many other issues that require attention - education, financial situations and so on - so when you look at combat sports, it's not really that important. The only attention we get is when a big event comes and something goes wrong. We do our jobs well, so very little goes wrong and since we're in our lanes, doing what we do well, we get left alone. I'm glad that people have the confidence in our commission and officials that nothing will go wrong and we work to maintain that. However, that doesn't translate well to this big priority list because there are so many other issues to take care of. BT: Well, I am kind of fresh out of questions here, so I have one last one: where are the good eats around here? AD: I'm actually not from around here [Morristown], I'm from South Jersey. BT: Ok, South Jersey then. AD: Gaetano's. There is two of them and they have the best cheesesteaks. Gaetano's. Nick Lembo stayed with me for a few minutes after the Symposium was over to answer a few brief questions about MMA in New Jersey specifically. BT: In terms of the pool for officials, referees and judges, how do you feel New Jersey stands? Nick Lembo: We work with a terrific group of officials, referees and judges. [Nick mentioned many well-known judges seen on UFC events, emphasizing the recent addition of Ricardo Almeida and going into quite some detail into the martial arts backgrounds of the judges, doctors and officials. He also spoke of how the certification process for inspectors, referees and judges work in New Jersey and of how confident he feels in their ability to handle the MMA events in the state.] BT: So right now, you do not feel that you want more judges who are better educated or informed? NL: No, our judges know what they are doing and of 63 rounds that were scored in a New Jersey UFC event, 61 were scored the same way and two of those rounds had a 10-10 score while the other two judges gave a 10-9. The system works and is working here. BT: You mentioned that 10-10 score. Where do you and by extension the NJSACB, stand on 10-10s, 10-9s and so on. Does one fighter have to win each round? NL: Well, I think a 10-10 is rare, but it makes sense. So we can see 10-10s, 10-9s, 10-8s and rarely 10-7s. Unless I see five 10-10s in one night and go "Hm, that's kind of weird," I'm not going to think much of it. It's a part of the sport. I leave it up to the discretion of the judges to score the round as they see fit. BT: What happens if a fighter who does not currently have a license tests positive for a banned substance? What is the process that getting a New Jersey license would involve? The Alistair Overeem controversy seems to have some ongoing issues with that. NL: I believe the licensing process is the same in Nevada as it is for New Jersey for a fighter who does not currently have a license. If the fighter does have a license, they can be suspended or have their license revoked. This is sort of semantical at some level, but the fighter would have to appear before the commission for the licensing process and that test would be discussed. BT: In another controversy, we saw Joe Warren get battered by Pat Curran at a Bellator event. My co-worker, Brian Hemminger, was present at the event and heard word that Warren was throwing up backstage after the fight. Would that fight ending affect a theoretical license in New Jersey? NL: Well, I would hope that the ringside physician was with him post-fight and noted exactly what he needs to have in order to train again and what he needs to fight again and we would go by that. BT: On a commission wishlist, so to speak, what's your number one item for the future of NJSACB? NL: Better pay for our officials. It's a thankless job and a great amount of responsibilities along with controversies. BT: In regards to medical testing, TUEs, banned drugs and so on, where do you feel the NJSACB is in terms of the eternal cat-and-mouse game? NL: I feel that the NJSACB, in large part to the dedication, expertise and involvement of Dr. Sherry Wulkan, is constantly improving and adapting in the fields of medical clearances and drug screening. It is worth noting that at all times, both Commissioner Davis and D.A.G. Lembo were very aware of their words in regards to talking about the actions of other commissions. They continually chose to emphasize the strengths of the New Jersey policies and regulations than to speak specifically to the shortcomings of other commissions and states. Lembo in particular was protective of the confidentiality of fighter medical records and supporting the MMA judges New Jersey works with, carefully navigating the divide between cheerleader for positive change, the responsibilities of an elected official and being a combat sports enthusiast in his own right. Commissioner Davis displayed a similar

Posted in: fight, judge, commission, jersey, bt

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UFC VP of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner knows that self-regulation is a problem just waiting to happen, and he wants to get out of the business altogether as soon as he can. As he told me when I spoke to him for this Sports Illustrated story this week:“You don't want a promoter self-regulating. For us, what we've been doing is trying to grow the sport. But when I'm in charge, I still work for the promoter, so there's an inherent conflict and we're the first to admit that. But you can't grow the sport unless you do that to start with.”That’s why the former Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director seems to be hoping that the brand new International MMA Federation (IMMAF) will become the independent worldwide regulator that this sport needs. But as anyone who has observed the struggles of state athletic commissions in the U.S. already knows, it’s a big job with plenty of built-in barriers. August Wallen -- a Swedish businessman and former president of the Swedish MMA Federation -- is the man in charge of making it happen. As president of the IMMAF, he’s the one who has to find a way to get the entire world to agree on how MMA should be regulated. He’s got the support of the UFC, so he’s off to a good start. As he told me on Thursday, his vision for the IMMAF is of a body that will encourage the creation of national federations in every country that wants to hold MMA events, then unite them under a single standard. It’s the way every other international sport does it, he said, so why not MMA?But when you can’t get California and Nevada to agree on an acceptable testosterone/epitestosterone ratio, what hope is there to create a United States MMA federation that holds the entire country to one standard?“U.S. is actually, legally, a very complicated matter,” Wallen said. “There has to be a national federation. I guess you have that for all the other sports, because otherwise you couldn’t be in the Olympics. You couldn’t take part in world championships in any sport unless you had a national federation.”Having the UFC’s backing is certainly a helpful booster. In a press release touting its support of the IMMAF, the UFC quoted CEO Lorenzo Fertitta as saying, “In order to maintain the successful growth of our sport, it is important to invest in resources that will develop and cultivate it at an amateur level. Having an umbrella organization that will oversee and help build the sport on a global level will not only provide advanced and ever-improving safety standards but will also create a unified global model to help introduce the sport to new markets. It is our hope that it will also take us one step closer to witnessing the inclusion of the sport of MMA on the Olympic programme.”Then again, as Maggie Hendricks at Cagewriter points out, getting your sport in the Olympics isn’t as simple as starting up an international federation. It’s one thing to call yourself a worldwide regulator, and quite another to be one. For Saturday's event in Stockholm, the Swedish MMA Federation is the regulator in charge, and they’ll be handling it much like a state athletic commission would in the U.S., according to president George Sallfeldt. The federation oversaw Friday’s weigh-ins, including the handling of Dennis Siver’s initial weigh-in mishap -- the German fighter made the 145-pound limit on his second try -- and it will handle the drug testing for this event, according to Sallfeldt, who said that “probably everybody [on the UFC on FUEL TV 2 fight card] will be tested, so that’s no different from what you see in the U.S.”At the same time, the complaint we hear from state commissions usually has to do with funding. Where will the IMMAF draw its cash, and how will it do so without being influenced by those it’s supposed to be regulating?“The International MMA Federation is completely independent, autonomous, democratic, and non-profit,” said Wallen. “We will, of course, be happy for any donations, but we cannot promise anything in return, ever. Even if you just want to sponsor, where we take money to show someone’s logo -- we don’t do that.”The way Ratner sees it, any international commission should derive most of its funding through a “sanction fee” from promoters. Some might not want to pay -- or be as capable as paying as the UFC is -- but it’s the only way to keep it legitimate, said Ratner.“If this is going to be independent, you know, we would help them, but we’re going to be under them. We’re not going to be partners with them.”How an international commission might work and whether the idea will even get off the ground in any meaningful way remains to be seen. The IMMAF is still only weeks old, after all. According to Ratner, however, the UFC needs to get out of the self-regulation business, which means it needs a reliable, independent regulator in places like Japan and Brazil, and it needs it soon.“I just think it’s better for the sport,” said Ratner. “With my prior years with the Nevada Athletic Commission, I can certainly do it if I have to. But I also know that there’s a fine line there when you’re the promoter, so I think this is very important. If we want to go somewhere and this federation isn’t in place, we may have to still self-regulate, but hopefully this federation will be out there. It’s going to take time, though. It’s not going to be an overnight process.”

Posted in: mma, sport, commission, itrsquo, federation

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The UFC 146 headliner saga continues as the world tries to figure out what the hell the UFC is doing by going ahead and trying to get a license for Alistair Overeem. If by some miracle or legal trickery he manages to stay in the fight, I may lose all faith in the entire testing and commission system. For a few days anyways, then I'll probably just get excited for Overeem vs Dos Santos. But even though Overeem's got his bigtime lawyer on this, Frank Mir's manager Malki Kawa thinks the commission application is just a formality on the way to an opponent switch: "The latest is the following: I think if you notice the [Cris] Cyborg thing, she was never stripped of her title until they go in front of the commission and get their cases heard and stuff, and now her title's been officially stripped," Kawa explained to MMA Weekly Radio. "The same thing happens with things of this nature. "Overeem's not officially out yet until the Nevada State Athletic Commission decides." Kawa believes the reason for the UFC not acting sooner to announce Overeem's replacement is due to the fact that the challenger's fight contract currently is not broken. Only when the NSAC delivers its ruling can Overeem be removed from the fight. The other depressingly possible way many are expecting this to go is the TRT route: The Nevada state athletic commission's TUE procedures require a fighter to apply for an exemption within 20 days of a fight. If Overeem presents a TRT defense, he could say he was not required to inform them of his use at the time of his March 27 test. If employed, it will be a risky strategy, but he may have some wiggle room. In standard pre-fight drug tests, athletes fill out questionnaires that ask them to list any medications they are taking. In a form such as that, he would have been required to list TRT or any other drug he was being prescribed. But NSAC executive director Keith Kizer confirmed to MMA Fighting that during the March test, there were no questionnaires given to the fighters. TRT seemed pretty bullsh*t to most people when we learned Todd Duffee was using it, and the idea that Alistair Overeem has a testosterone deficiency is one of the most patently absurd on it's face arguments anyone could make. It'd almost be worth seeing them try to make it, just to see what the reaction would be like. 

Posted in: fight, overeem, alistair overeem, commission, trt

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The legal tango back-and-forth between Nick Diaz's camp & the Nevada State Athletic Commission continues.

Posted in: diaz, nevada state, commission, nevada, tango backandforth

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State Impact reports on the current status of MMA in Oklahoma.  You may recall that Zuffa threatened litigation due to the state’s 4% tax on PPV purchasers within the state. ESPN’s Josh Gross reported early last week that Oklahoma was back in business and accepting MMA promoter applications. A little background on the subject via State Impact: The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission doesn’t receive any state funding, and its entire budget depends of fees and licenses for combat sports events. The commission licenses professional fighters and promoters, enforces health and safety rules and oversees fighting exhibitions and competitions. The State Impact article reports that in 2011 64% of its revenue is generated from the PPV fees. 23% of its revenue were from live fights within the state. Chart via the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission. The Oklahoma Attorney General is reviewing the constitutionality of the law.  As a result, Zuffa is holding off on filing a lawsuit until the AG makes its decision.  Thus, this appears the reason why the commission continues to operate. As of right now, SB 1533 – known as the “Oklahoma State Athletic Commission Act” – would provide the commission with $200,000 in hopes of quelling a potential lawsuit from the UFC.  The money would make up for the amount it would receive from the PPV payouts.  The bill passed the House of Representatives Appropriation and Budget Committee. An interesting sidenote as most of the PPV generated in the state is from pro wrestling PPVs and not the UFC.  Yet, there has not been public lobbying from the WWE (or TNA) about the tax. Payout Perspective: SB 1533 passed preliminary committee with no opposition so if passed, it appears that the resolution may suppress a Zuffa lawsuit.  Yet, it will be interesting to see the outcome of the AG’s decision on the constitutionality of the PPV tax.  We will see if Zuffa presses the AG for a decision regardless of SB 1533 as a means to quash any further state taxation on PPVs.

Posted in: ppv, commission, state, oklahoma, tax

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When media reports first surfaced last week reporting that Alistair Overeem had failed an out of competition drug test administered to the six heavyweight participants following their UFC 146 press conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada, back on March 27, 2012, the results were met with a mix of emotions. Few were surprised, given the incredible muscular growth of the former light heavyweight turned 263-pound, ripped behemoth who was last seen retiring fellow monster Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 in Dec. 2011. Add to that the weeks it took for "Ubereem" to submit to the out of competition testing ordered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) before UFC 141 and the years he spent fighting overseas during his growth spurt where he would not be subject to testing, and the shock-o-meter for Overeem's high testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) Ratio registered just below the collective surprise of the mixed martial arts (MMA) community when Cristiane Santos got popped for performance enhancing drugs (PED's) back in January. But yet, even with all that, there was some surprise, because many feel that Overeem should have seen an out of competition test coming, whether in "Sin City," South Florida or Amsterdam. The "conditional license" granted for Overeem to fight Lesnar at UFC 141 carried a condition that he was subject to two drug tests in the following six months. Speaking to NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer, Overeem's failed test was the first of those two tests. For those who argue that the NSAC had no jurisdiction to test Overeem because the conditional license he was granted at UFC 141 expired on Dec. 31, 2012 (one-day after the event), thanks for playing, but I wouldn't hang my future on that argument. While the conditional license granted for UFC 141 expired, the agreement to the subsequent drug tests over the next six months did not. Team Overeem should have been prepared for the reality that he would be tested at some point and it was a hell of a gamble to be riding the TEST train knowing that a test could and probably would be coming, twice, between January and June, 2012. And from a common sense perspective (the shock-o-meter is about to fall some more), he was booked to fight 239-pound Junior dos Santos, not exactly Lesnar-esque in size and strength, albeit superior in skill. If there are heavyweight opponents where size and strength would be less critical for the "Demolition Man," a smaller heavyweight like "Cigano" is surely in that group. For those unfamiliar with this whole testing and T/E mess when it comes to testosterone, here's a crash course: When a fighter gives urine to the commission, two samples are sent to the lab, Sample "A" and Sample "B". "A" is tested to determine T/E ratio while "B" is stored and maintained at the testing facility. A normal T/E ratio is considered 1:1, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and most commissions consider anything over 4:1 evidence of synthetic testosterone usage while the NSAC applies a more lenient 6:1 ratio. Overeem wasn't exactly what anyone would call "close," coming in at 14:1. He has the right to request that his "B" sample be tested to determine whether there might be some mistake with the "A" sample result. Personally, I would favor a Carbon Isotope Ratio test on the "B" sample as it is currently considered the gold standard for determining whether synthetic testosterone has been used but that's a discussion for another day.What Team Overeem did (and did not) do the week his failed test became public has raised a lot of questions. Overeem has not requested that his "B" sample be tested but did, on Fri., April 6, 2012, submit his request for a license to the NSAC to fight at UFC 146. If you're confused, join the club. It would seem that if someone knew they hadn't taken testosterone, they'd scream from the rooftops to have that "B" sample tested quicker than Duane Ludwig knocked out Jonathan Goulet. And "The Reem" must feel that his odds of success are much better than 14:1 because filing for the license creates a risky scenario for the Dutchman. According to NAC 467.087, if his license request is denied, he "may not file a similar application until one year after denial by the Commission, unless the Commission specifies otherwise at the time of denial." The ramifications are that if he gets KOed at his April 24th NSAC hearing, he could effectively be unable to fight anywhere for a year. Other states may not license him knowing he has been denied in Nevada and the UFC is not likely to put him on International cards and snub their nose at the NSAC either. Think Josh Barnett circa his Affliction: "Trilogy" issue with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). Barnett purposely didn't apply for a license in California when he had drug testing issues because the denial would have sidelined him for a year if the application would have been denied.So why is Reem willing to (A) roll the dice and (B) do it without asking for the "B" sample to be tested?I'll play the game and take my best shot at a theory. Has Alistair called me and told me the plan? Nope, never spoke to him or interviewed him. Has the commission sent me any confidential paperwork tipping me off to what might happen. Sorry to disappoint, but again, no. This is just my theory based on the facts you and I both know as of today.First, let's deal with the decision not to test the "B" sample. The only reasonable explanation is that he knows what the result will be -- exactly what the "A" sample showed -- synthetic testosterone usage. I hear your wheels turning and the question you're asking your computer screen. "Why would anyone submit for a fighter's license and risk being shelved for a year if they know their samples are accurately showing a wildly elevated T/E ratio? Pepe, you have lost your mind!" But that's exactly what he would do if he thought he could prove that he had a right to be elevated. Yep, I think Ubereem will be the latest in a growing line of fighters to claim that he is on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for low testosterone levels. "How could he do that without a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)," you ask? Simple. An application for a TUE need only be submitted to the NSAC early enough for the commission to have a reasonable period of time to evaluate the request. A prudent fighter would probably submit all the appropriate paperwork and medicals a few weeks before the fight, but even the most diligent would be highly unlikely to provide the info two months before. Accordingly, a fighter could fail the out of competition test because he had not already applied for or been granted a TUE, but appeal such failure on the basis that he had a medical reason to be on the drug in question (in this case testosterone) and that he had not applied for the TUE because the commission's own guidelines do not mandate that the application had to be submitted at the present time. Further, I expect that Team Overeem will show up in Nevada on the 24th with medical records, doctor verification and further testing in hand. What kind of testing?Blood testosterone level testing.T/E ratio only shows that synthetic testosterone has been used, thereby upsetting the naturally occurring 1:1 balance that is normal for most. But it doesn't tell you how much ACTUAL testosterone is coursing through the athlete's bloodstream -- only that all the testosterone in their blood wasn't provided by Mom and Dad but was increased through unnatural methods. Overeem could argue, unlike Nate Marquardt's situation at UFC on Versus, that the actual amount of testosterone in his system as shown by a blood test is well within normal limits and therefore not performance enhancing at all. The closer the dates of those blood tests are to the date of his T/E Ratio failure (March 27) the more appealing the argument is from a public relations standpoint. For example, the Reem might walk in on the 24th and say "I was prescribed testosterone by my doctor when he discovered that I had low testosterone and we were sure to keep track of my levels and keep them in normal ranges. I fully intended to disclose my usage to the commission when I applied for my license and submitted an application for a Therapeutic Use Exemption, all of which I am prepared to discuss today." The further away from the date of the T/E ratio gone awry, the less palatable the argument becomes as discontinuing testosterone therapy can lead to rather rapid declines in blood levels of the hormone. Even if Overeem had the right to take TRT, no athlete has the right to take enough testosterone to put their blood testosterone levels above normal limits. "Legal" TRT usage allows the athlete to have a high T/E ratio, NOT high actual blood testosterone levels. As crazy as it sounds, this could all come down to whether Team Overeem was proactive enough to have a blood testosterone test as close as possible to March 27, the date that the commission unequivocally knows he had a high T/E ratio. Now let's be clear. None of this changes the fact that Alistair had a high T/E ratio, but if he explains the failure with a previously undisclosed TRT defense that he didn't have to disclose yet but intended to disclose closer to the fight, it raises an interesting case of first impression for the commissions. Technically, under NSAC rules, there is no argument that Overeem had to file his TUE request two months before a fight. On the NSAC side, they absolutely had the right to conduct random out of competition testing. Therefore, there is a plausible argument that both sides acted consistent with their rights and responsibilities and that the commission may have to rethink their disclosure requirements regarding TRT. Perhaps fighters should have to disclose TRT usage to the commission in any state in which they sign to fight within seven days of signing the bout agreement.If Overeem can show that he qualifies for TRT under the current TUE guidelines, it is plausible that he could be successful and still be licensed to fight Dos Santos at UFC 146, if, in my opinion, he has blood work showing normal testosterone levels close to March 27. There still could be other hoops to jump through imposed by the NSAC with little time to do so with a scant month between the hearing and the fight. Is any of this fair to "Cigano" as he prepares for his first title defense without knowing for sure who his opponent is? Absolutely not. Is it fair to whoever has been told they are Overeem's understudy should he not be able to fight at UFC 146, whether that be Fabricio Werdum, Dan Henderson or Frank Mir? Nope. But I wonder if fans really care if a fighter is enhanced? I hope they do but, unfortunately, I think they are becoming numb to the TRT and steroid issue, a dangerous lack of concern when chemically enhanced warriors are punching and kicking each other with bad intentions. Team Reem may just have a legal left hook waiting for the NSAC with this TRT defense. If so, the question is how they will counter and whether that puts him inside the cage on May 26 -- or leaves him on the outside looking in. Larry Pepe is the host of Pro MMA Radio and was the first to examine Chael Sonnen's TRT defense in the wake of his failed drug test following UFC 117 in late 2010. See more from "Pep" right here.

Posted in: overeem, test, commission, testosterone, nsac

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Former Strikeforce featherweight women’s champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos went before the California State Athletic Commmission on Monday to appeal a one-year suspension after testing positive for banned substances for her fight on Dec. 17, 2011, in Strikeforce. Unfortunately for Santos, the commission wasn’t bending on its original ruling. Santos and her lawyer appeared in front of the commission asking for leniency after the Brazilian tested positive for stanozolol metabolites after her win over Hiroko Yamanaka.

Posted in: commission, california state, cris cyborg, year suspension, stanozolol metabolites

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Alistair Overeem will make his case to keep his spot on the UFC 146 card on May 26th, as he will appear in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission on April 24th. Overeem, who is scheduled to take on Junior dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title in Las Vegas, tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone after NSAC Director Keith Kizer issued a random drug test after a pre-fight press conference on March 27th. Overeem, whose test came back with a testosterone level of 14:1, was nowhere close to the maximum limit allowed in Nevada, which is 6:1. However, because of a temporary license in Nevada that expired after his fight in December, which also took place in Las Vegas, Overeem did not have a license to fight dos Santos in May. Even prior to the drug test results, Overeem was set to meet in front of the commission. Now he will have a new issue to address, as he will have to explain his testosterone level two months prior to the scheduled fight. While he does have a ‘B’ sample that can be tested, Overeem and his representatives have yet to request that. In fact, neither the UFC nor Overeem’s agency has yet to publicly comment on the situation. With three weeks to go before the scheduled meeting with the NSAC, the UFC is running out of time to replace Overeem if they have to. However, with a main card that is full of heavyweight matchups, they will have plenty of options to choose from. Fighters including Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, and even Mark Hunt, who has received a significant amount of support from fans around the world, are all scheduled to fight at the May 26th event. For now, Overeem will present his case to the commission. NSAC Director Keith Kizer confirmed Overeem submitted his application for a license last week. However, this was prior to the announcement regarding his drug test results. If the commission does not grant him a license, because of the denial of a license, Overeem will not be able to re-apply for one for an entire year. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete coverage of the Overeem saga, including the April 24th hearing.

Posted in: ufc, overeem, test, commission, license

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It appears Alistair Overeem ‘s fate for UFC 146 will be decided on April 24 at a hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. According to Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Overeem filed his application for a fight license last week, but because of a positive drug test returned for elevated levels of testosterone, he will have to appear before the commission to receive consideration for his application.

Posted in: overeem, nevada state, commission, application, commission overeem

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It appears Alistair Overeem's fate for UFC 146 will be decided on April 24 at a hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Posted in: ufc, overeem, nevada state, commission, april

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Alistair Overeem has tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone and must now appear before the Nevada Athletic Commission before he can be licensed to fight at UFC 146.

Posted in: overeem, alistair, commission, testosterone, nevada

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There were some who "had a bad feeling" when the UFC 146 fighters were "randomly" drug tested by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after the press conference last week. It looks like those ill feelings were justified as Alistair Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting tweeted the news: NSAC announces that Overeem tested pos. for elevated levels of test. last wk. He'll need to appear before the commission to get licensed. Overeem had to appear before the NSAC prior to his bout with Brock Lesnar in December after a suspicious set of circumstances led to his not providing a quick sample when requested during training, then providing the wrong kind of sample and it all taking place through his private doctor (standard Dutch practice which the commission was not aware of). Overeem had been granted a conditional license by the state for the Lesnar fight with the understanding that he would be subject to random testing following the show as well as having to provide a fresh sample after the hearing. Now, having been pinged in the UFC 146 pre-fight testing, it's not a stretch to say that the commission may be very reluctant to license Overeem for his heavyweight title fight with Junior dos Santos. More on this story to follow as details emerge. Update: ESPN's Brett Okamoto tweets: Email says Overeem's levels were > 10:1. NSAC limit is 6:1.

Posted in: ufc, overeem, commission, sample, level

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Remember that little ban on MMA Oklahoma decided to impose we told you about around a month ago? Well, you can all stop raging and your boycotting of Oklahoma and its products right now. Go ahead and restock your fridge full of those 88 cent packs of yummy Bar-S nitrite filled mystery smooshed meat particle hot dogs once again because we no longer have to feel hate and anger towards the state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has quickly come to their senses and decided to rethink their futile attempts to stuff the life out of our favorite sport within the OK state lines. ESPN.com and Josh Gross spoke to Joe Miller of the state's athletic commission who told them the commission is now awaiting word from the State Attorney General to 'change the language' of a tax statute that caused the UFC to threaten the state with legal action. The commission has begun issuing event permits again as of yesterday. “We will be open for business on April 2nd. A legislative solution to the problem is under way, and should be solidified by the end of April.” The issue stems from a 4% pay per view tax imposed by the Oklahoma athletic commission on all the promotors of combat sport events regardless of where their event actually takes place. The UFC got wind of the tax and said a big N-O to what was essentially a double taxation on their pay per view cards. Apparently the UFC flexed their legal muscle and the lawsuit threats caused the state to nix the idea of banning MMA and combat sports. Victory! You can now revisit those exciting forced family fun summer roadtrip plans to the National Cowboy Museum without feelling like you are supporting an enemy. [source]

Posted in: sport, event, commission, state, oklahoma

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Ross Goodman, attorney for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight Nick Diaz, is taking the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) to task for trying to "knock" his client prior to their upcoming disciplinary hearing. Diaz tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his five round unanimous decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, which was held on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NSAC is claiming Diaz lied on his pre-fight questionnaire (click here to see a copy), by checking "no" on a box asking if he took or received any prescription medication two weeks prior to weighing in. The presence of marijuana metabolites would argue otherwise, but technically, the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion was telling the truth. Diaz has a prescription for medical marijuana after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is legal in both Nevada and his home state of California. But since a doctor is unable to legally prescribe pot, the line of questioning could be subject to interpretation. And as Goodman argues (via Sherdog.com), that's the commission's fault, not his client's: "The point is that he’s not being untruthful about it; he’s not lying about it. But if it is a concern, then the athletic commission needs to be more progressive and modify the rules, instead of, after the fact, trying to find something to blame Nick Diaz on because they have a losing argument right now. Why don’t you be proactive? Why don’t you be responsible and why don’t you write questions that are reasonable and clear for somebody to understand and say, 'Have you taken medical marijuana in the last two weeks? Have you done this? Have you done that?' Instead of, after the fact, try and suggest that he was untruthful because he didn’t identify with prescription medication as a form of medical marijuana? ... The burden is on the state, the regulatory agency. The commission’s trying to find whatever they can to knock Nick Diaz, but Nick is just a fighter. It’s up to them to craft better questions on their pre-fight questionnaire; it’s up to them to do better testing if that’s what they want to do. Nick’s not responsible for any of this. If they want to be more accurate, if they want to have better pre-fight questionnaires, then it’s up to the athletic commission, the governing body, to do it, not a fighter." Goodman also contends that his client's drug use should be considered "out of competition" as it was stopped eight days before for the fight and that marijuana metabolites do not qualify as "drugs of abuse" -- nor are they listed as a prohibited substance. No date has been determined for Diaz's upcoming disciplinary hearing but he's currently enjoying a self-imposed retirement, one his brother Nate expects to last indefinitely. We'll see if the results of his hearing have any influence on that decision. Stay tuned. For more background on Diaz and his UFC 143 drug test click here. To read Goodman's response to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) in its entirety click here.

Posted in: diaz, nick, commission, marijuana, goodman

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Nick Diaz's lawyer totally curveballed the Nevada State Athletic Commission by pointing out pot metabolites = out of competition usage = legal, so the commission decided to change their tack and use those metabolites to prove that *gasp* NICK DIAZ LIED ON SOME FORMS! And just in case you were wondering, yes that sounds just as petty in legalese: 6. The day before the Contest, on February 3, 2012, DIAZ completed his Pre-Fight Questionnaire, attached hereto as Exhibit 1, wherein he answered “No” to each of the following questions:Do you have any serious medical illnesses, conditions?Have you taken / received any prescribed medications in the last two weeks?Have you taken / received any over the counter medication / products in the last two weeks?DIAZ signed his Pre-Fight Questionnaire directly below the statement: “I hereby attest that the above information is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.”By answering “No” to one or more of the questions referenced in paragraph six, DIAZ provided false or misleading information to the Commission or a representative of the Commission....20. Marijuana Metabolites are not drugs approved by the Commission.21. NAC 467.886 provides in pertinent part as follows:1. A person licensed by the commission shall not engage in any activity that will bring disrepute to unarmed combat ….22. By testing positive for Marijuana Metabolites, DIAZ has violated NAC 467.850 and 467.886.23. By providing false or misleading information to one or more questions on his Pre-Fight Questionnaire, DIAZ has violated NAC 467.885 (3). Isn't it fun watching Nick Diaz get railroaded for pot use while testosterone replacement therapy is A-OK? I'm glad the system makes sense and has its priorities straight.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, commission, prefight questionnaire

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In the days after Quinton "Rampage" Jackson became the latest fighter to acknowledge using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer's phone began to light up. On the other end were fighters and managers interested in finding out how to obtain a TRT exemption. Kizer, who had heard about Jackson's interview with Fighters Only acknowledging his usage, was not surprised. In his comments, Jackson claimed that "a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone." That quote has since been removed from the interview, but its echo has created a stir in the mixed martial arts world, suggesting that legitimizing TRT treatment was easy.Jackson is not only the latest of the divulged names using TRT, but also its loudest proponent. But contrary to popular belief, the number of fighters legally using TRT with the permission of state athletic commissions is quite low.How low? In its entire history, the Nevada state athletic commission has granted only three therapeutic use exemptions (TUE's) for TRT, Kizer told MMA Fighting. The only individuals to receive exemptions have been Dan Henderson, Todd Duffee, and most recently, Shane Roller in 2011. New Jersey Athletic Control board legal counsel Nick Lembo could not offer a specific number but said that state had given "less than five" TUE's for TRT in its history. In Ohio, only Henderson and Strikeforce fighter Bristol Marunde have ever been approved for TRT use, its state athletic commission executive director Bernie Profato told MMA Fighting.Contrast that with the reaction of say, Dr. Don Catlin, who sits on the International Olympic Committee's medical commission responsible for reviewing TUE applications for Olympic athletes. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting regarding the possibility of active fighters needing TUE’s for TRT in MMA, Catlin remarked that the whole thing was "a joke."Those types of broad criticisms are troubling to some combat sports regulators who feel that their goals of toeing the line between sport safety and being responsive to individual health situations are being undermined. "I hear things like, 'Oh everyone can do it,'" Kizer said. "Well, how many exemptions have [the IOC] given out? Two. Well, we've given out three in 12 years."According to Catlin along with many other critics, the possibility of professional athletes in their 30s needing TRT is so low, it's almost completely zero. But new research might show those long-held beliefs to be incorrect.The science of brain injury is still relatively new, and developing rapidly. In 2007, a paper published in the Journal of Athletic Training reported the first known connection between mild concussions and hypopituitarism, a deficiency that can lead to low testosterone. That research, along with how traumatic brain injuries impact the pituitary gland, is being continued by Dr. Daniel F. Kelly, the director of the Brain Center and Pituitary Disorders Program at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.Kelly is currently in the midst of a study of 75 former NFL players that is expected to be published around the end of 2012. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Kelly said that preliminary data from the study suggests that pituitary damage is occurring in a subset of the retirees. That study seems to corroborate a 2006 finding in Turkey that found that head injuries incurred by pro kickboxers have resulted in damage to the pituitary gland. Extrapolated to MMA, it's not much of a leap to suggest that similar injuries can be occurring to this sport's fighters, for whom getting hit in the head is a daily occurrence. In fact, Dr. Fahrettin Kelestimur, a professor of endocrinology at Erciyes University in Turkey who authored the 2006 study, told MMA Fighting that the most common damage has caused growth hormone deficiency and hypogonadism, respectively. The latter problem was the one cited by Chael Sonnen as the necessity of his TRT treatments during his appeal of a California state athletic commission suspension."These fighters are getting repeated insults to the head, sometimes more than concussive events," Kelly said. "And if you did a careful analysis of those people, I'm sure you'd see a significant rate of pituitary gland dysfunction. That's my prediction."The issue is complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to determine the cause of pituitary damage, according to Kelly. It's well known that steroid abuse can also damage the pituitary gland, but head trauma can cause the same affect.That makes things cloudier for regulators like Kizer and Lembo, who work for two of the sport's leading commissions. At the same time, they along with other regulators believe it’s important not to punish the athletes that come forward with a legitimate need by banning TRT outright. While the long-held belief that steroid use as the main cause of low testosterone among athletes might be true, it’s by no means a catch-all. That knowledge simply just isn’t widespread. Most of the people interviewed for this story were unaware that pituitary damage could be caused by repeated blows to the head, as Kelly, the brain and pituitary expert agreed."Is that incrementally damaging the connection between the brain and pituitary? I think it probably is," he said. "But can we prove that there’s an exposure component that’s incrementally adding up even if it’s not even considered a concussion. I think that’s probably the case."While MMA often points to its safety record, there are variables to the sport that cannot be controlled. Chief among them is what goes on in the gyms during training camp. While fighters who suffer knockout losses in competition are medically suspended in order to give them time to recover, those periods are rarely enforced. Some of them can’t be due to simple logistics. If a fighter competes in Texas, for example, but calls Brazil home, there is no real way to check up on him and ensure he’s letting his brain recover from the trauma it received. Most good coaches will try to keep their athletes on the sidelines and away from head strikes in this critical recovery phase, but it’s not like that everywhere.Take, for instance, Pat Barry’s recent explanation of why he hoped to visit Croatia soon to get in some training."Out there, you can punch and kick guys completely unconscious and they show up the next day," he said. " Whereas here, you can punch and kick some guys, and sometimes they don’t come back for the rest of the week.""Which is probably a good idea," UFC president Dana White interjected. Barry's seeming insensitivity to head injuries might be ingrained in his mentality as a fighter who is trained to be fearless even in the heat of battle, but it also might be from an attitude that is generationally rooted, though changing. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report noted that emergency room visits for children and adolescents due to sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries were up 60 percent in the last decade. The organization’s director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control attributed to the rise not to increased incidences, but to growing awareness of the dangers caused by brain injuries.Attention to the problem of brain injury has also been slow to come to pro sports. In 2008, the collaborative Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy was founded to study brain injury, and their work has changed the NFL’s outlook on concussions and head trauma, causing rule changes in 2009 that focused on player safety. This even though as a league, the NFL has had a multi-decade head start on MMA when it comes to head injuries. MMA commissions in some instances have only been sanctioning the sport for a year or two and are still drafting regulations.As it stands now, most commissions have no tests in place that would determine this type of problem.Only a handful of state commissions require an MRI in order to grant a fighter’s license, but MRI’s don’t always show the problem, anyway. A blood draw is more likely to determine if an issue exists, according to Kelly. Tests for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) could serve as an effective screening tool to determine any pituitary damage.Most of the blood work done through commissions prior to licensing though, is solely to test for contagious diseases.A big problem when it comes to changing medical technology is cost. Ohio Athletic Commission executive director Bernie Profato likened it to medical issues in the world at large, recounting the story of how the son of a close friend died from a rare blood disease that doctors didn’t have the means to handle because of a lack of money to fund research. "The more this stuff comes up, the more time medical people put into it, it extends our knowledge of it," he said. "We’re regulators, not medical people. We do what we can to put these athletes in the safest environment." Only a handful of the regulators MMA Fighting spoke with had heard of the studies linking brain trauma with pituitary damage, but most acknowledged that such conditions are exactly why TRT TUE’s shouldn’t always be passed off as an attempt to fleece the system."It’s very rare, but there are some legitimate needs," Lembo said. "My biggest concern is that most commissions don’t even test for these things in the first place so we’re over-penalizing the people that are coming forward and saying, ‘Hey, do whatever you want to me. Test me before and after the fight. Test me randomly. I need this, I’m on it and I’m going to be within normal limits.’ There are a lot of commissions who don’t believe in TUE’s for any reason, but why be hard on the ones coming forward?"Dr. Kelly, who has been working on issues pertaining to the pituitary gland for nearly 20 years, in 2008 co-authored a study that concluded chronic hypopituitarism occurred in approximately 20 percent of patients who had suffered mild, moderate or traumatic brain injury. With the repetitive head impacts from training and competing from month to month and year to year, it’s no wonder then that professional fighters could be subject to these same types of injuries. While finishing up his NFL research, Kelly is also interested in studying boxers and, possibly, mixed martial artists to gain a more definitive understanding of a problem that still remains mostly hidden away."I’m sure there’s a certain level of it going on," he said. "I guess what’s really amazing, if you look at it another way, is how infrequently it occurs, and how sturdy the system is, how much damage it can take. The pituitary gland is this tiny little thing that’s less than a centimeter cubed. It’s sitting in a little, bony depression in the skull base and it’s getting banged around, and the connection is getting banged around repeatedly, yet it keeps it on ticking in most people. It’s a pretty resilient system, but only up to a point." [Editor's Note: PEDs in MMA is a two-part series. Next week, an installment on the drug-testing landscape in MMA, and how regulators, athletes and promoters are adapting.]

Posted in: mma, fighter, injury, commission, trt

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When it comes to drugs in combat sports, Nick Lembo has basically seen it all. Like the time a fighter tested positive for PCP after a bout. Yes, angel dust, the hallucinatory drug that distorts reality, prompts violence and numbs the brain's pain receptors."That guy didn't feel anything during that fight," said Lembo, longtime legal counsel to the New Jersey Athletic Control Board.Across the country in Nevada, Nick Diaz and his team are preparing to mount a defense that centers on the theory that his recent positive test for marijuana metabolites proved that his usage came out of competition, a result that would not see him serve any suspension even under the strict bylaws of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that monitors international sport. Those two cases represent the two extremes of drug testing in sports. One is a black-and-white issue with a clear offense, the other is a matter of interpretation. In MMA, drugs and drug testing have been at the forefront of debate recently, due to situations like Diaz’s positive test, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson’s testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) admission, and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal’s nine-month steroids suspension, the result, he says of an over-the-counter supplement with a banned ingredient.Those high-profile situations have intensified conversations about the way the sport is monitored. UFC president Dana White likes to say that because of government oversight, his athletes are the most regulated in the world, but a closer look shows that’s not the case everywhere. The promotion’s most recent, show, for example, took place in Sydney, Australia, and was overseen by the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales. Their spokesperson Michelle Neathercote, however, told MMA Fighting that "The Combat Sports Authority does not conduct drug testing. Any drug testing arrangements are a matter for the UFC." In those instances, the UFC acts as its own regulatory body, with its vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner handling issues related to drug testing.That’s not that unusual when the UFC goes international, and global business is a major piece of their expansion, with six out of their last 20 events taking place outside of U.S. borders and at least five others scheduled for 2012.The UFC faced the same scenario in Tokyo just one week before it was in Australia. Some of their fastest-growing markets have yet to embrace drug testing. In Rio, where they will host their third event in a 10-month span this June, there is no commission enforcing drug testing. Even in Toronto, which hosted the largest event in North American MMA history, drug testing isn’t required. Office of the Athletics Commissioner senior advisor Richard Hustwick told MMA Fighting that testing is only done if it is written into bout contracts. The Athletics Commissioner will oversee the administering of the test, while the promoter pays for its cost.Even stateside, there are problems. The state of Washington only has mandatory testing for title bouts. Other states, like Louisiana, have no formally written testing policy at all. That often leaves the UFC in a position where it must help police itself, and leads to skepticism from the public who distrust their willingness to disclose results. On one hand, they have twice suspended star middleweight Chris Leben stemming from self-regulated events. On the other, they never divulged the positive drug test of Tyson Griffin at UFC 123 before it was discovered by MMA blog BloodyElbow.com over one year later. After news of the story broke, the UFC issued a statement saying that while they followed the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission’s 100-day suspension, they noted that it was the state that "did not make this information public."The fact is, there are still situations in which the UFC works hand-in-hand with state regulators to enforce drug testing, mostly by footing the bill.Alvin Topham, who chairs the Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission, detailed that process during an interview with MMA Fighting.When the UFC comes to the state, as they did last September, they insist upon drug testing. The commission will administer the tests, select a laboratory to process them, and pay the initial bill. They will also be the first to receive the results, which they will eventually pass along to the UFC.The promotion later reimburses them for the cost.The reason for this setup? The expense. Topham told MMA Fighting that the commission doesn’t receive a single cent of funding from the state government. Instead, it is self-funded through event gate taxes and licensing. The costs of random testing all events would quickly whittle away their cash reserves, so instead, they concentrate on major shows, using the deeper pockets of bigger promotions like UFC and Bellator to pay for the screenings."They’re footing the bill, but the way we’re doing it is safeguarding against impropriety," said Topham, who has served on the commission since 1992. "If anyone questions my integrity, that’s fine. They can say what they want to say. But I have no investment in the UFC. I don’t work for them. This is an arrangement, and we’re ultimately administering the testing."Many critics contend that fight week testing isn’t enough, anyway, that fighters should be tested out-of-competition. Just this week, the Nevada commission took advantage of a pre-fight press conference to test six UFC fighters scheduled to compete on a May 26 event, the first time that had been done. Regulators simply don’t have the budgets to test fighters when they’re one time zone away, let alone across the world, as often happens in MMA. It's been suggested that the burden should be shouldered by the UFC.According to White, while the promotion recently started drug testing newly contracted athletes, more extensive random, out-of-competition testing would also stretch the promotion’s resources thin."We have 375 guys under contract," he said. "We’re doing a zillion fights a year. We’re traveling all over the world and doing all these other things we’re doing. Now, do you really think that we can crack down and just f------ chase these guys around, everywhere they live, all over the world, and just randomly test these guys all the time? On top of all the other things we’re doing? You have to really sit back and think, to use a little reality and common sense." Commissions Playing Catch-up on TUE's While simple drug screenings are hard enough, the new battleground in drugs in sports is testosterone. Depending on who you ask, testosterone can be the best, worst and most confounding drug in the sports world, sometimes all at once, a viewpoint recently summed up by White."I think that this whole testosterone therapy (TRT) thing works for guys who absolutely need it, but I think it's a messy loophole," he said. For those who legitimately need it, TRT can be a life-changer, addressing issues related to decreased muscle mass, over-fatigue, depression, osteoporosis, and as we all know from the commercials, sex drive. But the key is whether the use is legitimate. TRT, usually administered either through an injection, a patch or gel, successfully addresses these issues, but if abused, could offer an advantage to a professional athlete.That’s particularly worrisome in MMA, where the consequences of PED’s extend far past what they may do to the offending party. It can be a problem for the unwitting opponent, as well as the pressure it places on everyone else to keep up."I think a lot of fighters, and it’s not an excuse but it is a reason, in the past used steroids not to get an advantage but because they thought they needed it to have a level playing field," Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer told MMA Fighting. "My opponent’s doing it so I have to. I think we’re moving away from that. Most guys aren’t doing it and those who are doing it are hopefully getting caught by the commissions. But now I’m worried TRT is going to be that way. If my opponent’s doing it, I don’t want him to have an unfair advantage."Publicly ask a professional fighter his opinion on TRT, and most likely you'll get one of two responses. Either they have no opinion because they don't consider themselves knowledgeable enough to comment on the subject, or they, like many in the population at large, consider it to be cheating."It’s a touchy subject," UFC middleweight Alan Belcher told MMA Fighting. "I know it's supposed to be a case-by-case basis, but probably like 99 percent of the time, they’re cheating. They’re lying and the doctor is helping them out."The controversy even cuts right through friendships. Former M-1 light-heavyweight champ Vinny Magalhaes has worked with exempted TRT user Dan Henderson many times, but believes the therapy shouldn't be allowed in MMA."I’ve been in Dan’s camp for three years," he said. "Dan trains, he’d go months with 4-5 injuries. I kind of get why he feels like he has to do it. But for me, if you’re 40 years old, you’re not supposed to have the energy of a 25-year-old guy. If you feel like you can’t perform, maybe it’s just time for you to quit better than to cheat. Otherwise it’s going to become like, hell, I’m 27 but I want to have the strength of two horses so I’m going to take a bunch of steroids. It’s wrong, in my opinion."Under proper doctor’s supervision, TRT isn't going to create a superman, but simply restore the body’s natural testosterone levels. The question then becomes, what is the proper supervision?States that allow exemptions offer guidelines that must be followed before the exemption is ever granted. Nevada and New Jersey shared their rules with MMA Fighting, including the documentation that must be followed by any applicant.In Nevada, a fighter must submit an application for a TUE at least 20 days before a fight. Along with it, he must provide results of no fewer than five tests, measuring things like total serum testosterone level (on separate occasions), luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and measurement of hemoglobin and hematrocrit levels. The commission also reserves the right to require additional tests measuring serum prolactin and iron saturation, pituitary function testing, and MRI of the sella turcica. They must also be able to prove there is no reasonable alternative therapy.According to Kizer, that stops many inquiries in their tracks.In New Jersey, fighters must provide similar records, again demonstrating that levels have been consistently below even the low end of "low normal."But other states have no such procedures in place for TUE’s or any other medically necessary drug. Some states, like Tennessee, handle situations on a case-by-case basis. Spokespeople for the Ohio and Illinois athletic commissions both confirmed that they currently have no procedure in place, though both said they are in the process of being drafted. Asked if Chael Sonnen, a TRT user, notified the state of his use prior to his UFC on FOX 2 matchup with Michael Bisping, Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation spokesperson Susan Hofer told MMA Fighting, "Since we have no therapeutic use rules in place, there would have been nothing to compel an athlete to tell us if they were using any particular therapy in advance."The same question was asked to a Department of Licensing and Regulation official in Texas, where Sonnen fought Brian Stann last October. She would not comment without first seeking the attorney general’s opinion, which was unavailable by press time. Instead, she referred MMA Fighting to their existing rules, which only requires an athlete to inform its executive director of prescription usages "at least 24 hours prior to the bout," too little time to determine need, according to most experts.In an effort to address the issue, the Association of Boxing Commissions plans to address TUE’s at its upcoming July convention, which is attended by many of the country’s state athletic board heads."I’ve got questions myself," said Ohio’s Profato. "We’ll speak to their medical people on this and see where we’re going. I don’t know that we should bar people with TUE’s if they need it medically. Our goal is to make sure when two people get in the cage, neither fighter is at an advantage or disadvantage."Even with procedures in place, some critics contend it’s not enough. When it comes to the growing use of testosterone, most states use a 6:1 testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E) as their cutoff for flagging a positive result (WADA has used a more conservative 4:1 ratio since 2007). Others cite the testing as insufficient. Most experts cite the carbon isotope ratio test (CIR) as the most effective means of catching cheats. Instead of looking at T/E ratio, it determines whether the substance in the body is natural or synthetic. From the regulators’ points of view though, the expense related to the test makes it cost-prohibitive given their budgets. Though no one would go on record with the cost of the test, Dr. Anthony Butch, who is the director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory -- the lab used by California to flag Chael Sonnen’s test in 2010 -- told MMA Fighting that a CIR is "typically at least five times more expensive" than a simple screening for testosterone metabolites, but far more effective."Given that some athletes do not see a significant elevation in the T/E ratio after taking testosterone, or a precursor of testosterone which would then trigger CIR testing, the CIR testing can be a more sensitive first-line test," he said.If all of that has you beginning to drown in information right now, that’s exactly how it sometimes feels for regulators like Kizer and Lembo, who work for two of the sport's leading commissions. Because TUE’s can be applied not only to TRT, but drugs related to other conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, asthma and more. At least one commission, New Jersey, has in the past received a TUE request for medical marijuana, though Lembo would not say whether it was granted.Right now, most of the leading state commissions have declined to disqualify athletes from competition for a medical condition out of hand, but it’s a hot-button issue regardless of the cause."If someone did abuse performance-enhancing drugs at 18 or 20, and they’re 32 now, I don’t know if you disqualify them because they did that," Lembo said. For now, it's not ultimately his decision, anyway. New Jersey uses a review board consisting of three expert physicians who are blinded as to the athlete's identity as well as the other physicians in the decision-making process, its lead ringside physician Dr. Sherry Wulkan told MMA Fighting.Over the years, New Jersey, like Nevada, has denied more TRT TUE's than it has granted.The spotlight on this issue has focused squarely on MMA -- and more specifically, the UFC (Bellator's CEO Bjorn Rebney told MMA Fighting that he was unaware of anyone on his roster undergoing the therapy). But it's not solely an issue here. Other contact sports have also seen the phenomenon. NFL senior vice president of public relations Greg Aiello told MMA Fighting that "about half a dozen" TRT TUE's have been granted in the history of the program, going back to 1990. The NHL also confirmed that they grant exemptions for TRT, though they would not release specific numbers on their program. That’s not to say that there aren’t athletes trying to beat the system. Even Kizer admits that its doubtful unapproved testosterone users will be caught if they stay within normal levels."It’s no different than non-approved use of steroids," he said. "If you cycle properly, you’ll probably be able to cheat the test, unfortunately. But that’s why we try to do in-training testing. People think it’s easy to beat a test. It’s not impossible by any means, but it’s not easy. All we can do is try to have better testing and more testing."Now, here’s the kicker to all of this. Say you spend every last dollar your commission has to test every fighter on every card. You randomly test out-of-competition, you spring for the more effective but more expensive CIR testing. You do all that, and everything seems fine. Guess what? You might still have cheaters in your midst. In February, a WADA report suggested that their research indicated that they are only catching one in every fight drug cheats, and they are considered the gold standard for testing.It’s only going to get more difficult. According to multiple experts, the next frontier is gene doping, a process which injects DNA into existing genes to enhance athletic performance.For now, it’s not known if there’s any usable test in existence that would catch a gene doper. Why? Because there’s no way to tell an athlete’s genetic code without already having it on file. And there’s no way to have it on file without having a biopsy. How many athletes are going to voluntarily submit to that in the name of fair play? History has proven that wherever an opportunity to take an edge exists, someone will take it. Despite the best effort of regulators to test, of promoters to condemn, and of fans to rebuke drug cheats, the system seems destined to be imperfect, a cause ultimately both righteous and hopeless. [Editor's Note: PEDs in MMA was a two-part series. The first installment, "PEDs in MMA: Amid TRT Controversy, a Hidden Danger," focused on the growing link between head trauma and pituitary damage leading to low testosterone.]

Posted in: mma, test, drug, commission, testing

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Things didn't exactly go well for Muhammed Lawal at his recent hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. And his reaction to the way things went down with the commission brought more problems his way. After being slapped with a nine-month suspension and $39,000 fine...

Posted in: muhammed lawal, nevada state, commission, way things, ninemonth suspension

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LAS VEGAS -- It's beyond stunning that anyone has tried to rationalize the behavior of former Strikeforce light heavyweight contender Muhammed Lawal and his manager, Mike Kogan, in light of their actions during and after Tuesday's disciplinary hearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission. Lawal's situation is so vastly different from those of Miguel Torres , Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and innumerable others who made, ahem, unwise public comments. On Jan. 17, Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada commission, announced that Lawal had flunked a post-fight urinalysis following a Jan. 7 victory over Lorenz Larkin at the Hard Rock. Test results indicated he'd tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone. On Tuesday, the commission heard from Lawal and Kogan and then suspended Lawal for nine months and fined him $39,000. Afterward, Lawal went to Twitter and ripped commissioner Pat Lundvall, calling her in a now-deleted tweet, "a racist [expletive]." Lundvall is white and Lawal is black. Lawal wrote: I honestly feel like Lundvall was a racist [expletive] asking me if I can read or speak english Not long after Lawal's tweet, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced the promotion had released Lawal. Suddenly, it seemed, the MMA media was outraged. Specifically, many in the MMA media were apparently angered that Lawal was released by responding on Twitter to what he felt was an offensive question from Lundvall, who had asked him if he could read and understand English. In a roundtable discussion on MMA Fighting, veteran journalist Mike Chiappetta said: I can understand his anger for being asked such a degrading question. Luke Thomas, who was doing the roundtable with Chiappetta, said Lundvall had been "patronizing" toward Lawal. The very talented columnist Ben Fowlkes also took issue with Lundvall in his column on Sports Illustrated .com: The old "Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?" routine is not a rhetorical device one employs in respectful conversation with an equal. It's something you do only when you know the other person has to sit there and take it. And my colleague at Cagewriter, Maggie Hendricks, attempted to compare Lawal's situation to that of Torres and Evans, among others. There were many others, but all missed the mark badly in their assessment of the situation. Finally, Kogan railed against Lundvall's line of questioning in a piece on MMA Junkie on Wednesday. Kogan told reporter Steven Marrocco that Lundvall's manner of questioning was inappropriate. There are ways to establish if a fighter understands what's going on or not. It was already done before the hearing even started. The very first thing they asked him was, 'Do you understand what's going on? Do you understand the charges against you? Do you understand you can be represented by [counsel]?' And he said yes. So to come back 20 minutes later and ask the man if he speaks and understands English is very offensive. Lundvall is a very prominent litigator in Nevada, a highly respected attorney at one of the state's top firms. She's hardly the "idiot" that she was made out to be by many of my media brethren who were all too quick to try to run to Lawal's rescue without considering what happened. First, Lundvall was doing what any legal questioner does. She was laying a foundation. She believed that Lawal had been dishonest. On a questionnaire he filled out at the weigh-in on Jan. 6, Lawal denied he had been injured or had taken any prescription or over-the-counter medications in the last two weeks. To the question that asked, "Have you had any injury to your knees, ankles, or feet that needed special evaluation/exam," Lawal checked no. Kogan had told Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy attorney general who represents the athletic commission, on Jan. 18 that Lawal took no supplements. In an email to Eccles the next day, Kogan reversed course and said Lawal had taken supplements. In his email to Eccles on Jan. 19, Kogan wrote: I guess I misspoke on the supplements that Mo takes my bad on that, I never seen him take any so I assumed he does not. We made a list of all the supplements and meds that he has taken some of them on regular bases as supplement, some temporality or intermittently and some were administered by the doctor that was taking care of his knee. Lundvall's reason for asking Lawal if he read and understood English is what lawyers do when they're building a case during questioning. She was boxing him in and leaving him no room. When he said yes, she asked about why he didn't disclose the knee injury on the questionnaire he filled out at the weigh-in and why he didn't mention he was taking something for it. It had zero racist intent. She was trying to expose that Lawal hadn't been forthcoming with the commission until he was forced to do so. It's also interesting to note that Lundvall uses the line of questioning frequently with fighters. On March 23,  2011, boxer Michael Shane Steele tested positive for an anabolic steroid. Steele, who is white, appeared before the commission on May 20, 2011, and underwent rigorous questioning from Lundvall. According to a commission transcript, the following exchange took place between Lundvall and Steele: Lundvall: Do you have any other information that you are willing to share with the Commission to explain why you tested positive for banned substances? Steele: None. Only the supplements I took and what I was trying to accomplish in taking them. Lundvall: Do you read English? Steele: Yes, ma'am. Lundvall: Do you understand the written word? Steele: Yes, I believe so. Lundvall used nearly identical language in speaking to Steele, who is white, as she did to Lawal, who is black. The point is, Lundvall wasn't talking down to Lawal or taunting him because of his race. She was trying to establish why he hadn't answered the questions truthfully. Lawal's case is different from the others because the others, such as Torres, Evans, Griffin and, yes, UFC president Dana White, only said or wrote something stupid. Lawal scored a hat trick of errors: • He flunked a drug test, which Torres, Evans and Griffin did not do. • He was untruthful on his questionnaire. • He made an outrageous and ill-advised comment on social media, attacking a prominent regulator. The move could come back to haunt the company. Lawal, I believe, is a good guy. He's quick with a quip and extraordinarily accessible to the media, which is why he's so beloved. But it doesn't matter if you're a good guy or not. The facts are the facts. Lundvall was only doing her job and White and the folks at Zuffa were only doing theirs when they cut Lawal. Hopefully, he'll be brought back at some point, like has happened to Torres, Nate Marquardt and so many others in the past. Let's go over this Mo was mistreated nonsense, though. He got what he deserved.

Posted in: commission, lawal, kogan, lundvall, steele

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Ben Thapa: Was the release of Muhammed Lawal (King Mo) from Strikeforce reasonable in light of all the stories and facts involved? Tim Burke: Yes, it was reasonable. In my opinion, Mo misinterpreted the commissioner's question. While it was remarkably condescending, it was asked in reference to his paperwork being filled out incorrectly if I'm not mistaken. Not understanding English has been used as a defense for incorrect paperwork in the past. Yes, he obviously demonstrated the ability to speak English in the seven minutes before that. But the blatantly obvious question wasn't a shot at Mo, it was to close a line of defense. According to many that have seen her in commission meetings before, Lundvall is like this all the time regardless of who is standing in front of her. I can't say what her intentions were for sure obviously, and I don't blame Mo for his interpretation of things, but he handled it very badly either way. The bottom line to me is that the UFC has to uphold the commission's authority, because it needs the commission to operate. If a Zuffa fighter is going to attack a commission member publicly like that, Zuffa has every right to tell the fighter to go work somewhere else so they don't have to deal with that headache. People can scream hypocrisy and all that, but it will fall on deaf ears. They are running a business, and they made a business decision. End of story. And I can just imagine what this lady is going to ask Nick Diaz next month at his hearing. Fraser Coffeen: I say no. And that's coming from someone who really actively dislikes the use of the word bitch, or baseless accusations of racism. But I think Lundvall was inappropriate in her question. Not horribly so (like, not bad enough that she should face any repercussions), but it was rude and not appropriate for a government official conducting an official hearing. Now, does that mean Mo should then jump on twitter and call her a "racist b**ch"? Certainly not. That was a stupid thing to do. But to be released from your contract over it? It seems unnecessary to me. And, yes, hypocritical when you look at some of the sexist antics of a guy like Rampage. I know what you're saying Tim when you say Zuffa doesn't care about that accusation of hypocrisy, and I agree with you. But just because they won't listen doesn't mean it's not a valid complaint. Brent Brookhouse: I think the most important thing here is the difference between what was said and what Mo has been saying was said. From the audio, Lundvall is asking about the questionnaire that was filled out prior to the fight where Mo did not say anything about his knee injury or the use of the supplement. She didn't ask if he knew how to "speak" English, she asked "Can you understand English? Do you read English?" Which, as Tim pointed out, was to make perfectly clear that Mo had the ability to read and understand what he was signing. Plenty of people can speak English but are unable to read. It closed off the idea that he "didn't understand what he was signing" when he put his name on the questionnaire. If you signed something that you acknowledge that you have the ability to read and comprehend, you really have no defense against the idea of not disclosing. If Mo felt that her actions were inappropriate, then he could have taken actions of his own. But the NSAC is responsible for handling far too much important stuff for the promotion to allow fighters to call their commissioner a "racist b**ch." Let's also not forget that this is coming on the back of the fact that his punishment was handed down for a banned substance. So combine the two and I think there's a reasonable argument to be made that they had to release him. This was the commissioner of the biggest state combat commission in the country, and Zuffa's home state. I think these are important steps in making it clear to fighters that "think before you tweet" remains important. I'm sure Mo will be back on the roster sometime in early 2013, but I think it was important to send a message that they don't support him right now for his actions. KJ Gould: Mo's twitter outburst was his own undoing. Even if he believes he has a case to call into question the motives of Lundvall's lines of inquiry, by making public his distaste for her and including misogynistic language, it makes everyone associated with Mo - including Zuffa - look bad. Rampage directly challenging the UFC brass is different, since although he made things public it was still an internal dispute. Roping the commission into it, who can at a whim make fighters and promoters alike jump through hoops just to make a point, makes for a difficult future working relationship. Mo's release is likely an appeasement from Zuffa to the commission,, because Zuffa doesn't need anymore headaches from dealing with them. Ben Thapa: At the same time, as someone who has dealt with racism in the past and as someone who has had to own up to screwing up something extremely badly, I can understand in a way Mo's reaction and anger. Instead of engaging in the time-honored "denyin' and lyin'" strategy, he owned up to it, pinpointed the exact substance, tried to show that he had no intentions of using it for competitive advantage and jumped through the hoops that the commission set for him at the time. And he's doing all of this with a PICC line into his body that's staving off severe staph infections that could have taken his leg. In return for this display of maturity and contrition, he gets grilled by the commission - and by Lundvall specifically - in a manner that is ABSOLUTELY the worst way to get the needed answers or information. It is all too easy to connect the precise English fluency and literacy questions that Lundvall asked to racist practices that have been in place for a long time and are not yet scoured from the face of the planet as they should be. I believe that while he was experiencing that giant wave of hurt, rejection and punishment, Mo actually reacted very well - aside from the "b**ch" comment. Seriously, how do you react when the impartial commission you are present before in regards to continuing your professional livelihood - while deathly ill - starts asking you questions that reek of racism against minorities? Mo was answering the questions as tersely as possible, while controlling his immediate outbursts and rising anger. I honestly don't know if I'd do the same in that situation. I do not believe the release was appropriate and that Zuffa could have smoothed the ruffled feathers without cutting anyone or taking any flak from either side. Fraser Coffeen: I can see that point KJ, but I guess I'd say that, if the commission decides to make Zuffa or Mo jump through hoops just to spite him/them for Mo's comments, well, that's a pretty unreasonable and unethical thing to do as well. Though I am beginning to get the sinking feeling that I am being a little too idealistic here and not basing my views on reality. KJ Gould: Commissions have often given the impression they're more concerned about exerting authority and marking territory, rather than making objective rulings or deciding matters they've been given authority to. Not all commissions or commissioners do, and it's not something that happens all the time, but based on the video of hearings we've had public access to it appears to have been the case in the past. I've no doubt Lawal felt genuinely upset and offended by the comments made, but that's something you talk to your lawyer about, not to twitter. His outburst has likely cost him pursuing the matter further should he have wanted to form a legal complaint about Lundvall's perceived behavior. Brent Brookhouse: This isn't unusual behavior from this commission (or any other, really) toward any fighter. Commission hearings are usually self-important, over-the-top and showy. It wasn't particular to Mo and, while the question may bring up feelings based on racist practices, that doesn't make it an illegitimate question if asked for an honest reason. If Mo's answer had been "I can read, but suffer from dyslexia" a response many college graduates could give. Then there is a whole new avenue that needs to be explored. By saying "did you sign the document?" and then clarifying that he had the capacity to have adequately understood the document he signed. The other part of the context here is that Mo's manager JUST explained that HE had filled out the paperwork for Mo and Mo just signed it. I think it's entirely legitimate to ask if he has the ability to read English in that situation. He signed a document that didn't list what he took and his manager filled it out. By making him answer that it wasn't questioning his intelligence, it was clarifying that he didn't have his manager fill out paperwork because he can't read as well as clarifying that he was capable of understanding that which he was signing. Honestly, the "he's seriously ill" thing shouldn't factor in at all. Tim Burke: I don't think that using his (flimsy) defense for failing a steroid test or his current medical status should be used as reasoning for calling a commission member a "racist bitch" for the whole world to see. Plus, while I can see why Mo reacted that way, the line of questioning towards him happens all the time. KJ Gould: I think it all comes down to a real lack of PR training for Mo and his camp. You can't use twitter like a valve to vent pressure whenever you feel like it; you have to be fully cognizant that publicly made comments have consequences. It's not just Mo, plenty of fighters, athletes and other working professionals slip up through twitter and social media and there are countless examples of this. If it's not part of the agenda already, use of social media and speaking to the press needs to be a focus at the UFC's next annual fighter summit, to stop stuff just like this from ever happening. If Mo had shown just a little more care, he might still be under Zuffa contract. How Mo handles and carries himself from here on out may determine if he gets brought back by Zuffa, and how quickly. It worked for Miguel Torres

Posted in: question, zuffa, commission, mo, english

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Few fighters have ever had a stretch as rough as light heavyweight Muhammed Lawal over the past two months. Not only has “King Mo” been dealing with a recurring staph infection in one of his recently repaired knees nearly costing him life and limb, literally, but the former Strikeforce champion was fined $39,000 and suspended for nine months as the result of a failed drug test in January. If things weren’t bad enough, Lawal now finds himself without a professional home after calling a Nevada State Athletic Commission official a “racist bitch” on Twitter based on his displeasure with remarks made during his recent hearing. The error in judgement on such a public level was followed by his prompt release from Zuffa-owned Strikeforce. Lawal’s statements stemmed from the official questioning his ability to read/speak English properly. While condescending in tone, the assessment came while discussing Lawal’s failure to disclose his health issues on a NSAC questionnaire prior to fighting Lorenz Larkin earlier this year. “King Mo” Reveals How Serious Health Issues Really Were The 31-year old’s free agent status was confirmed by MMAJunkie as well as by Lawal who, in an interview with Bloody Elbow, stated, “Zuffa made a decision just off what was said on Twitter. I don’t know if they care what happened. I’m pretty sure they didn’t hear any of the audio. They just made a decision off what went down on Twitter. I’m pretty sure (NSAC Executive) Keith Kizer and certain people at the commission are mad and I didn’t mean any disrespect to Keith or the rest of the people in the commission. I just felt disrespected by that one person that asked if I could speak or read English. To me, that was a blatant insult.” Up next for Lawal is a continued recovery process after losing thirty pounds from his bout with staph with an inability to fight until at least September based on his suspension. Landing spots for Lawal once he is eligible to compete again include ONE FC, SFL, Bellator, or, as has been the case in similar situations, it always remains possible Zuffa could come calling if he apologizes properly. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Tweet

Posted in: strikeforce, twitter, commission, lawal, health issues

Read the full article at Fighters.com

Social media can be a wonderful thing. It's a great networking tool that makes this big, big world a much smaller place. But there's a flip side to that coin. It's also a tad too easy to have something go wrong at your place of employment and rush home to tweet about your misfortunes. And if you don't have much of a filter to begin with? That's as good as a death sentence. Which brings us to Muhammed Lawal, who was released from his Strikeforce contract last night (March 27, 2012) for remarks he made on his Twitter account regarding a certain member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). The short version: A chairperson named Pat Lundvall asked Lawal if he speaks English and can read, Lawal thought it was one of the most disrespectful things he had ever been asked, he was punished severely by the commission, and he quickly tweeted that Lundvall was a racist bitch for asking him that question. He later deleted the tweet but the damage had been done and the powers that be at Zuffa felt it was time to say goodbye. But considering others have tweeted just as insensitively in the past, does "King Mo" feel as though he's being treated unfairly? BloodyElbow.com got the answer: "It is what it is. Of course, I want to fight for Strikeforce and fight for Zuffa, but if they want to cut me for what I said, then I can't take it back because it already happened. I have never been asked in such a condescending way if I could read or speak English like that. I did something wrong, so I can't really say I'm being treated unfairly. I don't know if it was excessive to cut me. "Right now, I just want people to understand that I went in there respectfully and that I'm not playing the race card. I'm too old to play the race card. I'm established on the West Coast now and since I've been out here, I haven't experienced much racism. I've experienced some stereotypes and small prejudices here and there, but other than that, no, I haven't experienced too much, compared to when I was in the South. The woman's comments reminded me of times when I experienced racial insensitivity from other people. "Zuffa made a decision just off what was said on Twitter. I don't know if they care about what happened. I'm pretty sure they didn't hear any of the audio. They just made a decision off what went down on Twitter. I'm pretty sure Keith Kizer and certain people at the commission are mad and I didn't mean any disrespect to Keith or the rest of the people in the commission. I just felt disrespected by that one person that asked if I could speak or read English." He's clear as can be that he wasn't trying to play the race card ... even though he flat out called Lundvall a "racist bitch" for asking him a question that was, admittedly enough, rather disrespectful. Either way, the situation was handled poorly by Lawal from the moment he left the hearing. It's a tough break, too, considering all the other issues the former Strikeforce champion is currently dealing with. On top of his nine month suspension and $39,000 fine, "King Mo" has had to deal with up to 16 knee surgeries this year alone. To that end, the time off is not only desirable, it's necessary. But when he's recovered and ready to come back, will it be under the Zuffa banner? How he handles this situation moving forward will likely determine that. So far, he's on the right track.

Posted in: zuffa, commission, lawal, he, im

Read the full article at MMA Mania

As we reported earlier today, former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion "King Mo" Muhammed Lawal met today with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The commission handed down a 9 month suspension, $39,000 fine, and changed his win over Lorenz Larkin to a No Contest, all as a result of Mo testing positive for the banned substance Drostanolone. Lawal appeared today to plead his case, stating that the positive result came as a result of taking an over the counter supplement called S-Mass Lean Gainer. But the commission didn't buy it. After the hearing, a clearly frustrated Lawal took to Twitter, partially to defend himself, and partially to attack the commission. First, Mo let out his frustration, and much of it was aimed at commission member Pat Lundvall. Just a note - I've edited Mo's post to remove the profanity. I honestly feel like Lundvall was a racist bitch asking me if I can read or speak english. Go on somewhere with that bull---- bitch!!! A few hours later, Mo had (moderately) cooled and posted this: Its funny how people are tryna say that I'm callin the commission racist. No!! They aren't. But there was one person on the panel that was out of line with the question she asked me. I found it insulting, prejudice, and a lil racist. I say racist from my past experiences. Mo's anger towards Lundvall stems from a comment she made during the hearing where she asked the fighter if he could speak or read English. That's the question he refers to above, and what he perceived as racist. Obviously, I can't say if Lundvall meant to be racist, but clearly she did mean to insult Mo, which is not the best stance for a commissioner to take during a hearing. Mo's frustration is understandable, but to publicly call her a "racist bitch" is by no means an appropriate response either, and one that only fuels the fire. This ends up being one of those situations where no one comes out looking good. Unfortunately for Mo, these comments will undoubtedly be the big talking point from today, which means his actual argument will get lost along the way. But that argument is worth a look. Basically, as Mo explained, he believes the real issue here is intent: intent...I had no intentions of takin a band substance. Methyl Drastonolone is a pill form of the injectable. I didn't kno S Mass Lean Gainer had it in it. All the websites that pull up on it were made the same month it was pulled off the market. July 2011...intent matters. Nobody is perfect. I had the supplement b4 there was any info on it. So u tellin me every month all fighters should go to the internet to see if their supplements are legal? Btw...they don't send out press releases when they find new banned substances!! This is an interesting point, but it also gets into a tricky area. On the one hand, Mo is correct (assuming he is being forthright here) - he did not have the intent to take a banned substance. On the other hand, "ignorance of the law does not excuse" - a basic tenant of the legal system which states that simply not knowing the law does not let you off the hook should you break it. And for now, it looks like that's the view of the NSAC as well. More coverage of the King Mo suspension: 'King Mo' Lawal Suspended Nine Months, Fined $39,000 For Failed Drug Test Strikeforce Interview: 'King' Mo Lawal Gives Update On Health And Career Strikeforce's Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal Says Over The Counter Supplement Caused Steroid Test Failure 'King' Mo Lawal Tests Positive For Steroids After Strikeforce Bout

Posted in: commission, mo, king, lawal, counter supplement

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal ‘s fate was handed down to him at a hearing held by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday. The hammer was dropped on the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion. Lawal appeared before the commission to answer for a positive steroid test stemming from his Jan. 7 bout and win over Lorenz Larkin in Strikeforce. The former champion explained to the commission that he had taken a supplement sold to him at a general fitness store, but was unaware that the ingredients could potentially lead to a positive drug...

Posted in: lorenz larkin, nevada state, commission, lawal, nevada commission

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission voted on Tuesday to place a nine-month suspension on former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed Lawal after the fighter tested positive for an anabolic steroid in his last fight.

Posted in: suspension, nevada state, commission, nevada, ninemonth suspension

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Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion "King" Mo Lawal got his day in court with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, but he’ll go home $39,000 poorer as a result of it.The NSAC voted to suspend Lawal for nine months as a result of a positive steroid test following his Jan. 7 win over Lorenz Larkin. It also voted to take his $15,000 win bonus, and fine him 30 percent of his $80,000 show purse -- a total penalty of $39,000 on the $95,000 he made for the bout. The result of the fight was also changed from a TKO win for Lawal to a ‘no contest.’According to Lawal, the outcome of the hearing wasn’t necessarily a shock, but it also didn’t necessarily seem fair to him to have commission members accuse him of misrepresenting the extent of his knee injury coming into the bout, he said."They come out hard on everybody," Lawal told MMA Fighting moments after the hearing concluded. "Pretty much, when you come to [an NSAC hearing], you’re going to lose. That’s how I see it. I feel like they tried to twist my words a little bit by saying that I was injured coming into the fight. ...All fighters have some types of bumps and bruises, but I felt like I came into that fight pretty good. I mean, you couldn’t tell that I had unstable cartilage, could you?" Since testing positive for the steroid Drostanolone, Lawal and manager Mike Kogan have repeatedly claimed that a nutritional supplement -- S-Mass Lean Gainer -- was the real culprit. But the commission seized on Lawal’s failure to disclose his usage of the supplement and the lingering knee injury that he says necessitated it, and ultimately decided not to grant him leniency.To hear Lawal tell it, what bothered him more than the fine and the suspension was the suggestion that he had lied about his knee injury or attempted to gain an unfair advantage."The whole cheating [accusation], their attitude about that, that’s what got me," Lawal said. "I feel like I just wasted my time there, to be honest with you."The nine-month suspension is retroactive to the date of the fight, meaning that Lawal can re-apply for a license in September of 2012. Lawal estimated he wouldn’t be physically ready to fight before next fall anyway, thanks to issues stemming from a staph infection he contracted following knee surgery in January. The infection is now "pretty much gone," according to Lawal, but after losing 30 pounds in the last couple months he still has a lengthy rehab ahead of him.As for what he learned from his day with the NSAC? The takeaway lesson there is a simple one, Lawal said."My advice to anyone dealing with the [Nevada State Athletic] Commission is, just do it over the phone. Don’t waste your time coming to Vegas, because you will get got. I had a few people tell me that, to just do it over the phone. Maybe I should have listened to them, but I felt like I needed to come tell my side of the story and I did. It made no difference."

Posted in: fight, knee, commission, knee injury, lawal

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Strikeforce fighter Muhammed Lawal has just recently pulled through a very scary moment in his life, having a serious issue with staph infection that had him fighting for his life. While on the road to recovery from that scare, he is still dealing with the fallout from a positive drug test after defeating Lorenz Larkin in his most recent Strikeforce bout. Today the judgement came down and it's pretty harsh. Josh Gross tweeted out the damage: @JoshGrossESPNJosh Gross Don't get popped for banned substances in Nevada. Mo Lawal's punishment: $39,000 fine, 9 month suspension, win vs. Larkin changed to NC. Mar 27 via web Favorite Retweet Reply Stephie "Crooklyn" Daniels talked to Mo about his health and commission issues in a recent interview for Bloody Elbow. Here's the commission stuff from the interview: SD: Can you give an update on your athletic commission hearing? ML: Yep. March 27 is commission time. I'll be there. I'll be speaking. I'll have all my evidence together. I really can't speak out on anything just yet, but I think that everything will come out good. SD: If everything pans out the way you want it to, with the commission, how long would it be before you're able to get back to action, considering your recent health concerns? ML: Once the infection is gone, I would have to stay on rehab a little bit longer, and then be cleared to start training. I'm hoping I'll be able to fight by Fall. I'd say about four months before I could really start training hard, and six months before I could fight. So seeing as how Mo wasn't going to fight again, that's hardly a major hit. But Mo had a lot of medical bills due to the recent health concerns and losing almost $40,000 (he made $95,000 including his win bonus) is nothing to sneeze at. But, it's important to remember that the athletic commission is supposed to carry out their punishment the same for everyone, they can't take it easy on him because he got ill after the fact.

Posted in: month, commission, mo, damage joshgrossespnjosh, health concerns

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal's fate was handed down to him at a hearing held by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Monday, and the hammer was dropped on the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.

Posted in: nevada state, commission, mo, king, nevada commission

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

In the days after Quinton "Rampage" Jackson became the latest fighter to acknowledge using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer's phone began to light up. On the other end were fighters and managers interested in finding out how to obtain a TRT exemption. Kizer, who had heard about Jackson's interview with Fighters Only acknowledging his usage, was not surprised. In his comments, Jackson claimed that "a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone." That quote has since been removed from the interview, but its echo has created a stir in the mixed martial arts world, suggesting that legitimizing TRT treatment was easy.Jackson is not only the latest of the divulged names using TRT, but also its loudest proponent. But contrary to popular belief, the number of fighters legally using TRT with the permission of state athletic commissions is quite low.How low? In its entire history, the Nevada state athletic commission has granted only three therapeutic use exemptions (TUE's) for TRT, Kizer told MMA Fighting. The only individuals to receive exemptions have been Dan Henderson, Todd Duffee, and most recently, Shane Roller in 2011. New Jersey Athletic Control board legal counsel Nick Lembo could not offer a specific number but said that state had given "less than five" TUE's for TRT in its history. In Ohio, only Henderson and Strikeforce fighter Bristol Marunde have ever been approved for TRT use, its state athletic commission executive director Bernie Profato told MMA Fighting.Contrast that with the reaction of say, Dr. Don Catlin, who sits on the International Olympic Committee's medical commission responsible for reviewing TUE applications for Olympic athletes. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting regarding the possibility of active fighters needing TUE’s for TRT in MMA, Catlin remarked that the whole thing was "a joke."Those types of broad criticisms are troubling to some combat sports regulators who feel that their goals of toeing the line between sport safety and being responsive to individual health situations are being undermined. "I hear things like, 'Oh everyone can do it,'" Kizer said. "Well, how many exemptions have [the IOC] given out? Two. Well, we've given out three in 12 years."According to Catlin along with many other critics, the possibility of professional athletes in their 30s needing TRT is so low, it's almost completely zero. But new research might show those long-held beliefs to be incorrect.The science of brain injury is still relatively new, and developing rapidly. In 2007, a paper published in the Journal of Athletic Training reported the first known connection between mild concussions and hypopituitarism, a deficiency that can lead to low testosterone. That research, along with how traumatic brain injuries impact the pituitary gland, is being continued by Dr. Daniel F. Kelly, the director of the Brain Center and Pituitary Disorders Program at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.Kelly is currently in the midst of a study of 75 former NFL players that is expected to be published around the end of 2012. In an interview with MMA Fighting, Kelly said that preliminary data from the study suggests that pituitary damage is occurring in a subset of the retirees. That study seems to corroborate a 2006 finding in Turkey that found that head injuries incurred by pro kickboxers have resulted in damage to the pituitary gland. Extrapolated to MMA, it's not much of a leap to suggest that similar injuries can be occurring to this sport's fighters, for whom getting hit in the head is a daily occurrence. In fact, Dr. Fahrettin Kelestimur, a professor of endocrinology at Erciyes University in Turkey who authored the 2006 study, told MMA Fighting that the most common damage has caused growth hormone deficiency and hypogonadism, respectively. The latter problem was the one cited by Chael Sonnen as the necessity of his TRT treatments during his appeal of a California state athletic commission suspension."These fighters are getting repeated insults to the head, sometimes more than concussive events," Kelly said. "And if you did a careful analysis of those people, I'm sure you'd see a significant rate of pituitary gland dysfunction. That's my prediction."The issue is complicated by the fact that it is not always possible to determine the cause of pituitary damage, according to Kelly. It's well known that steroid abuse can also damage the pituitary gland, but head trauma can cause the same affect.That makes things cloudier for regulators like Kizer and Lembo, who work for two of the sport's leading commissions. At the same time, they along with other regulators believe it’s important not to punish the athletes that come forward with a legitimate need by banning TRT outright. While the long-held belief that steroid use as the main cause of low testosterone among athletes might be true, it’s by no means a catch-all. That knowledge simply just isn’t widespread. Most of the people interviewed for this story were unaware that pituitary damage could be caused by repeated blows to the head, as Kelly, the brain and pituitary expert agreed."Is that incrementally damaging the connection between the brain and pituitary? I think it probably is," he said. "But can we prove that there’s an exposure component that’s incrementally adding up even if it’s not even considered a concussion. I think that’s probably the case."While MMA often points to its safety record, there are variables to the sport that cannot be controlled. Chief among them is what goes on in the gyms during training camp. While fighters who suffer knockout losses in competition are medically suspended in order to give them time to recover, those periods are rarely enforced. Some of them can’t be due to simple logistics. If a fighter competes in Texas, for example, but calls Brazil home, there is no real way to check up on him and ensure he’s letting his brain recover from the trauma it received. Most good coaches will try to keep their athletes on the sidelines and away from head strikes in this critical recovery phase, but it’s not like that everywhere.Take, for instance, Pat Barry’s recent explanation of why he hoped to visit Croatia soon to get in some training."Out there, you can punch and kick guys completely unconscious and they show up the next day," he said. " Whereas here, you can punch and kick some guys, and sometimes they don’t come back for the rest of the week.""Which is probably a good idea," UFC president Dana White interjected. Barry's seeming insensitivity to head injuries might be ingrained in his mentality as a fighter who is trained to be fearless even in the heat of battle, but it also might be from an attitude that is generationally rooted, though changing. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report noted that emergency room visits for children and adolescents due to sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries were up 60 percent in the last decade. The organization’s director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control attributed to the rise not to increased incidences, but to growing awareness of the dangers caused by brain injuries.Attention to the problem of brain injury has also been slow to come to pro sports. In 2008, the collaborative Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy was founded to study brain injury, and their work has changed the NFL’s outlook on concussions and head trauma, causing rule changes in 2009 that focused on player safety. This even though as a league, the NFL has had a multi-decade head start on MMA when it comes to head injuries. MMA commissions in some instances have only been sanctioning the sport for a year or two and are still drafting regulations.As it stands now, most commissions have no tests in place that would determine this type of problem.Virtually every state commission requires an MRI in order to grant a fighter’s license, but MRI’s don’t always show the problem. A blood draw is more likely to determine if an issue exists, according to Kelly. Tests for luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) could serve as an effective screening tool to determine any pituitary damage.Most of the blood work done through commissions prior to licensing though, is solely to test for contagious diseases.A big problem when it comes to changing medical technology is cost. Ohio Athletic Commission executive director Bernie Profato likened it to medical issues in the world at large, recounting the story of how the son of a close friend died from a rare blood disease that doctors didn’t have the means to handle because of a lack of money to fund research. "The more this stuff comes up, the more time medical people put into it, it extends our knowledge of it," he said. "We’re regulators, not medical people. We do what we can to put these athletes in the safest environment." Only a handful of the regulators MMA Fighting spoke with had heard of the studies linking brain trauma with pituitary damage, but most acknowledged that such conditions are exactly why TRT TUE’s shouldn’t always be passed off as an attempt to fleece the system."It’s very rare, but there are some legitimate needs," Lembo said. "My biggest concern is that most commissions don’t even test for these things in the first place so we’re over-penalizing the people that are coming forward and saying, ‘Hey, do whatever you want to me. Test me before and after the fight. Test me randomly. I need this, I’m on it and I’m going to be within normal limits.’ There are a lot of commissions who don’t believe in TUE’s for any reason, but why be hard on the ones coming forward?"Dr. Kelly, who has been working on issues pertaining to the pituitary gland for nearly 20 years, in 2008 co-authored a study that concluded chronic hypopituitarism occurred in approximately 20 percent of patients who had suffered mild, moderate or traumatic brain injury. With the repetitive head impacts from training and competing from month to month and year to year, it’s no wonder then that professional fighters could be subject to these same types of injuries. While finishing up his NFL research, Kelly is also interested in studying boxers and, possibly, mixed martial artists to gain a more definitive understanding of a problem that still remains mostly hidden away."I’m sure there’s a certain level of it going on," he said. "I guess what’s really amazing, if you look at it another way, is how infrequently it occurs, and how sturdy the system is, how much damage it can take. The pituitary gland is this tiny little thing that’s less than a centimeter cubed. It’s sitting in a little, bony depression in the skull base and it’s getting banged around, and the connection is getting banged around repeatedly, yet it keeps it on ticking in most people. It’s a pretty resilient system, but only up to a point." [Editor's Note: PED's in MMA is a two-part series. Next week, an installment on the drug-testing landscape in MMA, and how regulators, athletes and promoters are adapting.]

Posted in: mma, fighter, injury, commission, trt

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On March 20th, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an administrative release stating that ProElite was delinquent in its periodic filings with the Commission, having filed some but not all of the required periodic reports. The release can be read below: SEC PE Filing In the release, the SEC states the following: “ ProElite, Inc. (“PELE”) (CIK No. 1015789) is a New Jersey corporation located  in Los Angeles, California with a class of securities registered with the Commission pursuant to  Exchange Act Section 12(g).  PELE is delinquent in its periodic filings with the Commission,  having filed some but not all of the required periodic reports.  The most recent filings were a Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2008 and a Form 10-K for the period ended December 30, 2008, both filed November 21, 2011.  The Form 10-K reported a net loss of $55,567,437 for the prior twelve months.  The last report previously filed was for the period ended June 30, 2008, which was filed on August 19, 2008.  As of March 16, 2012, the common  stock of PELE was quoted on OTC Link (previously “Pink Sheets”) operated by OTC Markets  Group, Inc. (“OTC Link”), had ten market makers, and was eligible for the “piggyback”  exception of Exchange Act Rule 15c2-11(f)(3)” The SEC has requested for ProElite to file a response within 10 days from the day the order was issued.  If PE fails to file an answer within the period granted, they could be deemed in default and the proceedings will determine the allegations against it to be true.  The Administrative Law Judge will issue an initial decision no later than 120 days (around July/August of this year) regarding the allegations stated above. Payout Perspective: In terms of ProElite and the SEC filing, Stratus CEO Paul Feller told MMAPayout that this “does not impact the daily operations of ProElite”, as it is a “total separate matter carried over from the old Pro Elite group.” He went on to state that “We’re doing all the necessary paperwork required to comply with the SEC and to lift the temporary hold placed on ProElite.” Feller expects a resolution to the matter in a “very short time frame”. In terms of running the operation on a day-to-day basis, it is “business as usual” according ProElite Head of Fight Operations T.Jay Thompson. “We are thrilled to be where we are. We have a wonderful TV partner in HDNet and expect to continue that partnership and to grow with them under the new AXS TV brand,  as they will further expand their reach into millions of homes.” ProElite is currently “re-fueling” and targeting a Summer date for their next event rumored to be held in California around June.

Posted in: proelite, commission, period, sec, filing

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I know many of you dream of the day you can pack up all of your personal belongings, log off your outdated company issued PC and never look back at the three gray walls of that tiny little cubicle you called home for eight hours of your day for the last five years. You daydream of hopping into the driver's seat of a leisure van and driving straight to Oklahoma to waste away your life savings in the slot machines at the Indian Casinos while stuffing your face with Navajo tacos and fried coca-cola. Unfortunately, you may have to rethink those grandiose dreams of yours because Oklahoma has decided to ban MMA altogether. Although this ban may prove to be only temporary, you may need to start researching life in Nebraska as a second option just in case this ban somehow sticks around. According to a recent article by Phillip Barnard of Houston Examiner.com, the ban is the result of an impending battle between the UFC and the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission as a result of a state issued PPV tax. Apparently if you watch any PPV MMA, wrestling or boxing event in the state of Oklahoma there is a 4% tax added to the cost of the PPV. The UFC has discovered this and does not like it and is now threatening to sue Oklahoma to remove this tax. Oklahoma has been collecting this tax and using it to run it's state athletic commission since 2004. Due to this impending lawsuit the state commission issued this letter to all promotors on March 5th telling them it is refusing to provide permits for any comabt sports events in the state from March 31 forward: The purpose of this letter is to inform you the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission will not be accepting applications for event permits for events scheduled after March 31, 2012. The Commission is faced with an out-of-state threat that, if successful, could greatly affect the Commission's ability to provide for the public safety and for the health and safety of the athletes for future events throughout the state of Oklahoma. The Commission is currently trying to address legal and legislative efforts which have given us serious concerns about how we move forward with adequate oversight of Oklahoma's boxing, mixed martial arts, and professional wrestling events. As you know, the primary focus of this agency is to make sure the athlete's health, and safety is not compromised. We take this charge very seriously. The Commission and I will be working diligently to address these issues and develop a plan of action to return to a normal course of business. Although this ban is only temporary as of the moment, this is still a lose lose situation for both the state and for combat sports fans. As of right now there are no UFC events scheduled for the state of Oklahoma, but Bellator has been to the state several times and the WWE has an event scheduled for October. Tickets have not yet gone on sale for the WWE event and it's not yet been reported if this event will have to be canceled. Seems like that will be an awful large amount of tax dollars lost if the commission denies the license to host an event there. [source, source]

Posted in: event, commission, state, ban, oklahoma

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Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) battle to bring mixed martial arts (MMA) to the state of New York has been longstanding and widely publicized. Earlier this week (March 14, 2012) another state added its name to the list of territories unfriendly to the UFC in particular and combat sports in general. That state is Oklahoma, a place that the promotion has ventured previously on two past occasions -- UFC Fight Night 16 (Sept. 16, 2009) and UFC 4 (Dec. 16, 1994). According to the Houston Pro Wrestling Examiner, there may be an impasse, unless the two sides are able to see eye-to-eye on some important things. Namely: Money. Oklahoma's Executive Director of the Athletic Commission, Joe Miller, recently issued the following statement to combat sports promoters in Oklahoma: "The purpose of this letter is to inform you the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission will not be accepting applications for event permits for events scheduled after March 31, 2012. The Commission is faced with an out-of-state threat that, if successful, could greatly affect the Commission's ability to provide for the public safety and for the health and safety of the athletes for future events throughout the state of Oklahoma. The Commission is currently trying to address legal and legislative efforts which have given us serious concerns about how we move forward with adequate oversight of Oklahoma's boxing, mixed martial arts, and professional wrestling events. As you know, the primary focus of this agency is to make sure the athlete's health, and safety is not compromised. We take this charge very seriously. The Commission and I will be working diligently to address these issues and develop a plan of action to return to a normal course of business." More on the story after the jump: The crux of the issue seems to come down to a tax that the state of Oklahoma has imposed and collected on UFC pay-per-views (PPV) that were purchased in that state. The 4 percent tax has been levied on all PPVs, even on events held outside Oklahoma. It's a move that has drawn the ire of UFC President Dana White, to the extent that Zuffa has announced plans to sue the Commission to have the tax removed. According to Miller, the tax is necessary to help pay for the Commission's expenses: "It takes approximately $360K for the Commission to provide regulation for the approximately 275 events per year we regulate. The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission does not receive any state funding. We are funded solely from license fees, assessment on live events, and an assessment on pay-per-view events. We receive approximately $137K per year through license fees and assessments on live events. Receipts from Pay-per-view are approximately $240K per year. About $80K per year comes from UFC PPV. The UFC has threatened a law suit against our PPV law unless our legislature repeals our PPV law during this legislative session. The Commission loses either way. OK has been collecting on PPV since 2004 and this is the first time the issue has been brought to light. For the Oklahoma Commission to survive and for Combat Sports to continue in Oklahoma it will be up to the Oklahoma legislature to come up with a solution to the funding shortfall. You can do the math." Clearly, Oklahoma needs the UFC more than the UFC needs Oklahoma, but this case could set a precedent that causes negative ripples in the future. It's safe to assume that the $2 billion MMA enterprise is not hard up for cash, much less an $80,000 "fee" to sell events to fans who live in the "Sooner State" each year. However, if more cash-strapped states jump on the bandwagon looking for similar handouts, the 50-state total could get quite ugly. Unless, of course, you think that's just the cost of doing combat sports business.

Posted in: ufc, event, commission, state, oklahoma

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If you were wondering what the Nevada State Athletic Commission thinks of Nick Diaz's pot defense, this might give you a little clue of what's to come: Christopher Eccles, a Nevada deputy attorney general who represents the state athletic commission, referred telephone calls and email messages to public information officer Jennifer M. Lopez.In a written statement, Lopez said, “Not only did Nick Diaz violate the law by testing positive for marijuana metabolites, but he also lied to the Commission on his Pre-Fight Questionnaire when he swore that he had not used any prescribed medications in two weeks before the fight.” INCORRECT PAPERWORK, MOTHERF*CKER! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!

Posted in: diaz, nick, commission, fight ”, christopher eccles

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King Mo finally has a date with the NSAC. MMA Junkie is reporting that Lawal will appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission in two weeks at a hearing on March 27 to address his positive test for the steroid Drostanolone following his victory over Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Jardine.” Lawal still denies that he knowingly took a performance-enhancing substance, but he isn’t expected to contest the result, according to his manager Mike Kogan. Instead, they plan to show the commission how they discovered a tainted supplement Lawal took led to the positive test and let the commission decide how to handle it. “Ultimately an athlete is responsible for what he/she puts in their body, and Mr. Lawal’s intent is not to shift blame or find an excuse,” stated the letter sent to the Attorney General. “His intent was to figure out for himself what may have caused this positive test so that he can make proper adjustments to his supplement list and avoid this nightmare in the future.” “We’re going to go in there and explain to them the same story that we’ve been saying all along, and see what happens,” Kogan said. “When we originally wrote [the letter], it was for internal use and in the media. I don’t know anything about these commissioners and what they know and what they don’t know, so we’re going to give a little history on [Lawal's wrestling background] and add a little bit more of answering the questions of previous research (about the supplement). It will be up to the commission at that point to decide what to do with Lawal. At the moment, he is facing a one-year suspension, a fine and having his win over Larkin changed to a no-contest. Image via Dave Mandel for Sherdog

Posted in: test, supplement, nevada state, commission, lawal

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission will in two weeks decide the immediate professional fate of Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal. NSAC executive director Keith Kizer on Tuesday told MMAjunkie.com that the former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champ is scheduled to appear at a commission meeting on March 27 in Las Vegas. Lawal faces a possible one-year suspension, a fine, and the overturning of his recent win over Lorenz Larkin to a no-contest.

Posted in: lorenz larkin, nevada state, commission, lawal, commission meeting

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Nick Diaz's lawyer has fired off a response to his recent suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission questioning his suspension for marijuana metabolites.

Posted in: diaz, nick, suspension, commission, nevada

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Nick Diaz's lawyer has fired off a response to his recent suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission questioning his suspension for marijuana metabolites.

Posted in: diaz, nick, suspension, commission, nevada

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Nick Diaz's lawyer has fired off a response to his recent suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission questioning his suspension for marijuana metabolites.

Posted in: diaz, nick, suspension, commission, nevada

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Nick Diaz's lawyer has fired off a response to his recent suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission questioning his suspension for marijuana metabolites.

Posted in: diaz, nick, suspension, commission, nevada

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Nick Diaz's lawyer has fired off a response to his recent suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission questioning his suspension for marijuana metabolites.

Posted in: diaz, nick, suspension, commission, nevada

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submitted by JoStiglicks [link] [2 comments]

Posted in: commission, wyoming, mmaonly commission, jostiglick, mmaonly

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Late last week, Wyoming become the 46th state to sanction mixed martial arts, after Gov. Matt Mead signed legislation into law. But tucked away in the bill -- HB0087 -- was the more interesting news to come out of the development, that the state is set to become the first state to have a mixed martial arts-only commission to regulate the sport.Most states that have sanctioned MMA over the past few years have added the duties to the work of their existing athletic or boxing commission, but Wyoming has no such regulators, so instead decided to install a new board solely devoted to MMA. Gov. Mead will appoint three members to the commission, whose duties will take effect on July 1. At that time, rules and regulations will be drafted, with input from surrounding state sanctioning bodies. The bill forming the group sailed through the legislative process and was passed by a 58-0 vote in the House of Representatives, with two voters being excused. Wyoming's sanctioning leaves only New York, Connecticut, Vermont and Alaska as the final holdouts to regulation, though while the first three sanction boxing, Alaska has no existing athletic regulatory body in place.While Wyoming is the least populated state in the U.S. (568,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), UFC vice president of government and regulatory affairs Marc Ratner previously told the state's Casper Star-Tribune that the UFC would be willing to bring a Fight Night-level event there. The commission will eventually be funded by a five percent tax on total gross receipts from MMA events. Local promoters say about 20 events are held in the state annually, but have voiced a concern that the tax could shut down some of those events. While the state isn't known as a hotbed, it hosted UFC 6 back in July 1995 under the original UFC ownership team. The most notable fighter ever to come out of Wyoming is former UFC middleweight No. 1 contender and recently signed Strikeforce star Nate Marquardt. The former Olympic wrestling gold medalist Rulon Gardner, who competed one time in MMA, is also from the state. The legislation was initiated by state Rep. Bryan Pederson, a Cheyenne Repubilcan who reportedly practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai.

Posted in: ufc, event, commission, state, wyoming

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Yesterday we broke the news that Tyson Griffin had tested positive for traces of marijuana in his system at UFC 123 back in November of 2010. This was a story that, somehow, had never been brought to light as the promotion never mentioned it and the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission didn't publicize it aside from handing down the suspension at a meeting which saw minutes published on the website. After the story was published,UFC Senior VP of Government & Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner offered up the following statement to Bloody Elbow: "The Michigan Commission found traces of a banned substance in Mr Griffin's post-fight urine analysis following his bout at UFC 123. The Commission fined and suspended Mr Griffin, but did not make this information public. "As always the UFC followed the directive of the sanctioning Commission. Mr Griffin did not compete in the UFC again until after his suspension had ended." Brent Brookhouse: Tyson Griffin Tested Positive For Marijuana At UFC 123 There has been some talk that if the state commission does not make the information public knowledge, the promotion can't do so either. In cases like the Chris Leben suspensions that the UFC made public on their own, they were the ones acting as the "commission" for the fights. One of my issues with this is that, while I still have significant problems with the way the Michigan commission did their job, they did technically make the information public when they suspended Griffin at a public meeting and publicly published meeting minutes covering his suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. While the UFC may not have been able to say exactly what Griffin popped a positive for, I still believe that this was a case where they could have still said that Tyson tested positive for a banned substance and had subsequently been suspended. Regardless, it's good that the UFC at least saw fit to comment on the situation at this point.

Posted in: ufc, suspension, commission, griffin, tyson

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The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission has suspended all combat sports due to lack of funding. According to MMAValor, the commission has halted all permits after March 31 (with the exception of a previously set boxing event on April 7). The article mentions the commission is facing legal action from the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC., for its pay-per-view tax that taxes all PPVs that air in the state to provide funding for the commission to operate. The tax, which has been in place since 2004, provides the commission additional funding to operate events in the state. This is key, because the commission receives no state funding to operate. Financial restraints are one of the main problems for most state athletic commissions these days. With state funding dropping in many states, athletic commissions are often the first offices to lose funding. The irony of course being that the commissions are facing increased demands with more events in many states, leaving many commissions struggling to figure out how to meet these demands. Oklahoma State Athletic Commission director explained his state’s issue to MMAValor, stating: “It takes approximately $360K for the Commission to provide regulation for the approximately 275 events per year we regulate.  The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission does not receive any state funding.  We are funded solely from license fees, assessment on live events, and an assessment on pay-per-view events.  We receive approximately $137K per year through license fees and assessments on live events.  Receipts from Pay-per-view are approximately $240K per year.  About $80K per year comes from UFC PPV.  The UFC has threatened a law suit against our PPV law unless our legislature repeals our PPV law during this legislative session.  The Commission loses either way.  OK has been collecting on PPV since 2004 and this is the first time the issue has been brought to light.  For the Oklahoma Commission to survive and for Combat Sports to continue in Oklahoma it will be up to the Oklahoma legislature to come up with a solution to the funding shortfall.  You can do the math.” For more on this story and all things MMA, stay tuned to MMAfrenzy.

Posted in: event, commission, state, funding, oklahoma

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The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission has sent out a letter to MMA promoters claiming that they will not be accepting any applications to hold events after March 31, 2012. The OSAC claims that a threat from "out of state" could "greatly affect the Commission's ability to provide for ... the health and safety of the fighters." According to a report on KOKH Fox 25 in Oklahoma, the UFC is threatening to sue the state unless the Commission stops taking a 4% tax on Pay-Per-View events to fund its activities. MMA Worldwide has more including the letter from the OSAC after the jump: From MMA Worldwide: Combat sports are a multi-million dollar industry in the state, and now it seems that mixed martial arts will be slipping back into the shadows indefinitely. This move will effect nearly 200 events that happen each year across Oklahoma, and if the UFC and the state can't come to terms... promoters will have to take their business onto tribal grounds and casinos where they have their own regulations.

Posted in: mma, event, commission, state, oklahoma

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The UFC returned to the state of Michigan for the first time since UFC 9 when UFC 123 was held at the Palace of Auburn Hills on November 20, 2010. The event wasn't without some controversy as the first round of the Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao bout ended early due to poor time keeping and may have cost Falcao a chance to finish a choke. Now, sixteen months later, another bit of interesting news from that card is bubbling to the surface. In the wake of the news that the Association of Boxing Commission had sent a letter to all its member commissions telling them to no longer license fighters from the state of Michigan and to not recognize fights taking place in the state, Bloody Elbow Radio's Matt Bishop e-mailed me and asked if anyone was aware that Tyson Griffin had tested positive for something following UFC 123. Matt had found the information out while looking at some meeting minutes on the commission's webpage. After searching up and down the internet, I could find no mention of Griffin having tested positive for anything, but the meeting minutes were quite clear (emphasis mine): 2. TYSON LEE GRIFFIN - Complaint No. 316174The Commission reviewed the Stipulation and complaint. The respondent admits to violation of Sections MCL 338.3648(6)(a) and R 339.269(3). The Stipulation, in part, provides for the following:a. At the next unarmed combat or boxing contest Respondent participates in as a contestant, within the State of Michigan, Respondent may be specifically selected for a post-contest urine screening to measure the presence of alcohol or drugs.b. Respondent shall pay a fine in the amount of $250 within 60 days from the mailing date of the Final Order.c. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions within 60 days from the mailing date of the Final Order shall result in a suspension of all licenses or registration renewals and denial of future applications for licensure until compliance is made.d. Respondent license was summarily suspended for at least 100 days.It was moved by Mr. Mueller and supported by Mr. Packer to accept the Stipulation. The motion passed unanimously. With Griffin a recognizable UFC fighter whose bout at 123 was his twelfth on the sport's biggest stage, it simply didn't make sense for this to have been a non-story. The test failure not only wasn't reported by any news website, it didn't appear to be publicly acknowledged by the UFC either. A call to the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission to determine why this information was never made public as well as to find out exactly what Griffin tested positive for. Carol Moultine of the commission informed me that the state followed their procedures exactly in this case and that if I wanted to know what Tyson tested positive for, I would have to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the file. That's exactly what I did and a week later I received the disciplinary action report for Griffin and found out that he had tested positive for Cannabinoids. A PDF copy of the relevant page of the disciplinary report can be read here. It almost becomes more strange when the test is for marijuana rather than some sort of performance enhancing drug when it comes the UFC not making it public knowledge. Then again, in 2006, Diego Sanchez tested positive for the presence of marijuana following his defeat of Joe Riggs and when the California State Athletic Commission didn't make that news public, the UFC also didn't acknowledge it until the story was picked up by the Orange County Register. Dana White said that he felt Griffin had been screwed in a big way when he lost the UFC 123 fight via split decision to Nik Lentz, but one has to wonder if he had won if the decision would have been changed to a no contest like Nick Diaz's win over Takanori Gomi. And, while Tyson is not a star on the level of Diaz, we've seen the firestorm that accompanies positive tests for marijuana with the Gomi fight and, more recently, the UFC 143 bout with Carlos Condit where Diaz tested positive again. There were already questions surrounding if Griffin would be let go following the loss, given it was his third in a row, but Dana elected to keep him and Tyson dropped to featherweight in his next bout. That move to featherweight is where a conspiracy theorist may look and think that the UFC was more than happy to have a drug test go unspoken with a fighter who was expected to be a game changer once featherweight came to the UFC. In another strange moment during the research for this story, I contacted Stars MMA while waiting for the disciplinary action file to see if they (and Tyson) had a statement regarding the situation. Griffin's manager returned the call and was very upset on the phone that I would report on the issue. He repeatedly told me that there was no sense reporting on the story and then getting upset that I would bring something that happened multiple fights ago to light. Given that I didn't even know what Griffin had tested positive for at the time I asked how it was not news that someone tested positive for something that was kept from the public and asked if it was PED related, which would make a 10 pound drop in his next fight a much bigger deal. Rather than simply informing me that it was for marijuana he said "good luck with the Freedom of Information Act request, we have no comment beyond that" and ended our conversation. It all adds up to such a strange story: For a promotion which has voluntarily made positive drug tests public knowledge (Chris Leben being caught by UFC testing in England for UFC 89), why is this the second positive test for marijuana (that we know of) to have been kept out of the public eye? For Michigan, why did they not make this information public? The public pays for the government commission to operate and pays for tickets/pay-per-views for the events, anything the commission does should be made easily accessible for the public. And for Stars MMA, why would you not take advantage of a chance to get out in front of the story with me and offer comment? Why add another layer of resistance and mystery to a story I made clear was going to come to light? In the end we're left with a lot of questionable behavior around a simple 100 day license suspension during a time when drug testing is at the forefront of the media with Diaz's marijuana conviction and the continued presence of testosterone replacement therapy in the headlines. White brags about how heavily regulated the UFC is, but what does that mean when the public isn't always fully aware of what that regulation detects? As of the time of this writing the UFC has not responded to multiple e-mail and phone requests for comment on the issue.

Posted in: ufc, commission, marijuana, griffin, tyson

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"Erection, Your Onion!  He's clearly guilty by reason of creeper facial hair!" There's been a fair amount of discussion on the internets about Strikeforce fighter Brandon Saling's outing as both a registered sex offender and apparent neo-Nazi, and though much of the chatter between commenters was about his presumed white supremacist opinions, athletic commissions care a lot more about the rapey part.  And so both the Ohio and New Jersey athletic commissions have already revoked his license for lying about his criminal record. OAC executive director Bernie Profato told MMAjunkie.com that Saling (8-6 MMA, 0-1 SF) violated administrative statutes when he lied about his criminal background on an application for a fight license. Saling can appeal the ruling at a OAC hearing planned for April 11. "There's a dual thing there," Profato said. "He'll have to answer to the falsification, and two, if you read the law, it says they don't have to license you for a felony. Now, it will be whether they ever license him again because of being listed as a sexual predator.". . .Profato said Saling marked "no" on the part of his application for a license that asks about previous convictions beyond traffic offenses. The fighter was sent notice this morning that his license had been revoked. The administrative action will be noted on a national database that tracks administrative and medical suspensions of fighters. If Saling is unsuccessful in appealing the revocation, he must wait a year before he is eligible to reapply for a license in Ohio. Other commissions are not required to honor his administrative suspension, though they often do. But Saling is hardly the only active fighter with a criminal record, so exactly where do the commissions draw the line? "If it's homicide or sexual predator, or if you're applying for a promoter's license and it's fraud, or theft in office, you probably aren't going to get licensed." Bottom line, his career could be finished, though lying about his record is probably a bigger issue than the record itself, even with the sex crime on there.  Not that I'm defending Saling, but to be fair, Mike Tyson did three years for rape and fought again only five months after his release, and his former manager Don King killed two people and has been sued multiple times, but that didn't stop either of their careers in the boxing world.  And that's just the first two off the top of my head.  Then again, the rules aren't always applied equally to boxing and MMA, so who knows how this will pan out in the end.  Two things we can be fairly certain of though: his one-year suspension will likely stand, and he won't fight for Zuffa again.

Posted in: fighter, record, commission, license, saling

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Brandon Saling made big headlines this week after his performance at this past weekend's (Mar. 3, 2012) Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" mixed martial arts (MMA) event from Columbus, Ohio, losing via technical knockout to Roger Bowling in the second round. However, It wasn't because of his what he did inside in the Hexagon, which was far from impressive, but rather for the troubling tattoos emblazoned across his body. Specifically, the "88" with accompanying lightning bolts, which means "Hail Hitler," an obvious indication of his support for Nazi beliefs. That's not all. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Saling, who had also previously competed for Bellator in New Jersey at Bellator 59, had a sordid criminal past, one that involved two indictments of sexual misconduct, and an alleged rape of a person under 13 years of age. At the Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey" post-fight press conference, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced that a full investigation into how a fighter with such a violent criminal record, who is also a registered sex offender, would get licensed to compete for his organization. Today, at the UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight press conference, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White answered that question (via MMA Fighting): "Apparently what this guy did is he lied on his application to the athletic commission in Ohio and he lied on his application to the athletic commission in New Jersey. So to the best of my understanding, obviously this guy is never going to fight for us ever again, and me might not ever fight again. I know he has been suspended by both states and then all these other commissions follow a suspension from other states. And for this guy to ever get licensed again he'd have to go for a hearing for the athletic commissions. I find it hard to believe that this guy will ever be licensed again so he better go find another job." It has since been confirmed the Saling’s license in both the state of Ohio and New Jersey, have been revoked and has been officially suspended from competing in MMA for providing false information on his applications. As White stated, like any suspended fighter, he will have to answer to both, or any other, states' athletic commission should he ever wish to get re-licensed to compete. However the questions remains, with such a criminal history and now having another mark on his record for lying to athletic commissions, will he or should he ever get approved to fight again in MMA? Whatever happens, Saling certainly faces an uphill battle after this weekend wherever he roams.

Posted in: mma, guy, commission, state, ohio

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In a major update to a story we've been following since uncovering the information during the Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey event, Brandon Saling, a convicted sex offender with a tattoo featuring Neo-Nazi symbolism, has had his fighter license suspended. In our original coverage we touched on how Saling's "88" tattoo is symbolic for "Hiel Hitler" (H being the 8th letter of the alphabet) and followed that up with information about Saling being convicted in the sexual assault of a girl under 13 and a domestic violence conviction some years later. It appears that Saling failed to disclose those convictions when applying for his license and, thus, is in a good deal of trouble with the state and it is unlikely he ever fights again Luke Thomas broke the news over at MMA Fighting a short time ago: After causing a stir on Saturday at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, welterweight Brandon Saling's tenure in Strikeforce was short-lived. It turns out there may also not be much time left in his mixed martial arts career. According to commissioner Bernie Profato of the Ohio Athletic Commission (OAC), Saling's fighter license has been revoked. Profato told MMA Fighting Saling falsified information on his application for a license by failing to disclose he had "ever been convicted of a crime other than a traffic offense". The ommission puts Saling in violation of Administrative Code 3773-1-09, clause F, of the bylaws governing MMA in Ohio, which states a fighter's license can be suspended or revoked if he or she "has violated any law with respect to any sports regulated by the commission or any rule or order of the commission or has been convicted of a felony." ... "Obviously this guy is never going to fight for us again," UFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani. "For this guy to ever get licensed again he'd have to go before a hearing for the athletic commissions and I find it hard to believe that this guy will ever be licensed again. He better go find another job." This should put an end to any of the debate over the "he served his time, let him fight" vs. "convicted sex offenders with Nazi symbolism aren't good for promotions or TV" nonsense. Saling was clearly covering up his past in an attempt to build a fighting career and thus was putting promotions in jeopardy of significant damage to their reputation. You don't just "forget" that you spent time in jail for rape and domestic violence. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

Posted in: mma, strikeforce, commission, license, saling

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After causing a stir on Saturday at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, welterweight Brandon Saling's tenure in Strikeforce was short-lived. It turns out there may also not be much time left in his mixed martial arts career. According to commissioner Bernie Profato of the Ohio Athletic Commission (OAC), Saling's fighter license has been revoked. Profato told MMA Fighting Saling falsified information on his application for a license by failing to disclose he had "ever been convicted of a crime other than a traffic offense". The ommission puts Saling in violation of Administrative Code 3773-1-09, clause F, of the bylaws governing MMA in Ohio, which states a fighter's license can be suspended or revoked if he or she, "has violated any law with respect to any sports regulated by the commission or any rule or order of the commission or has been convicted of a felony." Saling is a registered sex offender and was convicted of "gross sexual imposition", a felony, in 2004 in the state of Ohio. Saling most recently fought in Columbus, Ohio at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey where he lost to Roger Bowling via second-round TKO. His presence at the event disturbed many in the MMA community for his racially-controversial "88" or "Heil Hitler" tattoo on the inside of left collarbone. Upon further inspection of his background, it was revealed Saling was had been convicted of felonious sex crimes. "Obviously this guy is never going to fight for us again," UFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani. "For this guy to ever get licensed again he'd have to go before a hearing for the athletic commissions and I find it hard to believe that this guy will ever be licensed again. He better go find another job." Profato states Saling has been notified by certified mail of the commission's decision to revoke his license and that he is entitled to a hearing. Attempts to contact Saling for comment were not immediately returned. Saling will tentatively have his first opportunity to challenge his license revocation at the next meeting of the OAC on April 11th. Should he choose to challenge their decision, Profato states he'll be able to use the services of an attorney, witnesses, his own testimony and any countervailing evidence that would ostensibly compel the commission to reverse course. In addition to his license suspension in Ohio, MMA Fighting has confirmed with counsel Nick Lembo of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) that Saling's license in that state has also been revoked for falsifying information on his license applications. Saling recently fought in New Jersey at Bellator 59 in November of 2011 and Ring of Combat 36 in June of last year. At the time of this writing, it's not clear what options Saling has in New Jersey to challenge the NJSACB's decision.

Posted in: commission, state, license, saling, ohio

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Strikeforce heavyweight attraction and former PRIDE FC star Josh Barnett had his mixed martial arts (MMA) license reinstated today (March 5, 2012) during a special hearing in front of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). But not without provisions. "The Warmaster" must consent to "random biological fluid testing" at a time and place determined by the commission prior to his participation at any event held in the state of California. Barnett, who is expected to fight undefeated division standout Daniel Cormier under the Strikeforce banner on May 19, has been battling the CSAC for over two years to get back in their good graces following his failed drug test back in 2009, one that sank the S.S. Affliction and canceled a late summer superfight against Fedor Emelianenko. Now he's back, primarily because the state of California "needs good fighters," according to the commission. More details on his reinstated license, as well as his upcoming fight against "DC," as they become available.

Posted in: barnett, commission, state, california, fluid testing

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Well it just wouldn’t be a UFC event without a little judging controversy now would it? I’m nearly tripping over myself saying this, but yes, despite there being a “sudden death” round in place to ensure that neither of tonight’s UFC flyweight mini-tournament fights could possibly end in a draw, the Demtrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall flyweight semi-final ended in a draw anyways. So how did it happen? Well, surprise, surprise, the athletic commission screwed up royally when tallying the judges scores from the fight. It should have been a majority draw (Sal D’Amato 28-28, Anthony Dimitriou 29-29, Kon Papai 29-28 Johnson) and the fight should have went into the “sudden death” fourth round to determine the winner. Instead, Craig Waller, executive director of the Combat Sports Authority of New South Wales, mistakenly transcribed D’Amato’s 28-28 as a 29-28 Johnson on the official scorecard seen above thus giving Demetrious Johnson the majority decision on the broadcast. Unfortunately, by the time they figured out what happened, it was too late. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Waller took full responsibility for the error. “It was a bit of an unfortunate situation,” Waller said. “I take full responsibility for what happened.” “The fight should have been a majority draw. We should have gone to a fourth round. I sincerely apologize to both fighters, to Dana, and to every single fan of the UFC.” “Sal wasn’t the one that made the error,” Waller said. “It was my error.” As you can imagine Dana White was pretty upset about the situation. “There is nothing positive about that result. I would rather have ended it tonight. We had two badass fights that everybody loved that would have led into the title fight. That would have been best-case scenario.” “As soon as the show ended, they came over and told me. After the card was done, they came up to me, and I said, ‘You’ve got to be [expletive] me. How is this possible?’” “Imagine if they would have come out and said, ‘This is going to a fourth round,’” White said. “The crowd would have went crazy. People at home would have went crazy. It would have been an incredible atmosphere and an incredible moment. There’s nothing good about this, but what can you do? The commission owned up to it, apologized for it, and all we can do is move on.” On one hand, I do kinda feel for Mr. Waller. He made an honest mistake, which he owned up to and apologized for, and I’m sure no one feels worse about this right now than him. You can’t ask much more than that. But on the other, seriously??? Can’t anything just go according to plan without a judge or a referee or a commission official screwing something up? If commissions only messed up every once in a while, it really wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it continues to happen all the time. It’s utterly baffling and mind-numbingly frustrating. Image via Tracy Lee for Yahoo! Sports

Posted in: fight, round, johnson, commission, waller

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Posted in: johnson, commission, mccall, scorecard, rd

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Dana White's been a busy man down under, so I almost believe his feigned surprise when the media questioned him about Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's admitted testosterone injections. He had a pretty good answer ready in his back pocket: He told Fighters Only that while he had no specific knowledge of Jackson’s TRT medication at that moment, he is in no position to raise any objections to the therapy as it is allowed - by way of exemption - by athletic commissions all over the US.“If its legal, if you can do it and the athletic commission allows you to do it and you come in at the right levels, what kind of stance am I going to take on it?” he said when asked whether he has any issues with use of TRT by fighters.“But what we are doing right now, and I don’t know if you know this, but out new policy is if you come in and you sign a new deal with us you get tested for everything. And if you test positive you are not going to get signed by the UFC. "Oh yeah, it's totally f*cked up. But check this out, we test them once the same useless way too when we sign em." Aaaargh! “We are the most regulated sport on earth. Meaning that the government comes in and tests these guys every time they fight. If baseball, football and basketball went through the same thing, there would be no football, baseball or basketball. Guys would be ‘popping’ and out every weekend. [MMA] is the most regulated sport on earth.” There's no denying that part of Dana's statement: the government has taken responsibility for testing in combat sports, and they do test fighters more than any other sport out there. The testing is just completely inadequate, not just in catching people using straight up steroids but in regulating the use of new performance enhancement schemes like testosterone replacement therapy. It will catch potsmokers though, so ... yay?If there's ever a hope of getting mixed martial arts anywhere close to a place where we can hope half the athletes aren't on something, a complete overhaul of the system is needed. It doesn't matter if it's the UFC or the athletic commissions doing it, but something needs to happen. Carbon isotope testing, blood testing and random testing are a good way to start and you'd hope getting things up to WADA standards would be a nice goal to shoot for. But so long as the UFC can point at the athletic commissions and the athletic commissions keep being as swift as that kid who eats glue, PEDs will continue to run rampant through the sport. No word from Mr White regarding Mr Jackson's upcoming doggy style-themed rap career. Boo-urns.

Posted in: way, sport, test, commission, testing

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There were many lingering questions in the wake of the Association of Boxing Commissions letter sent to all it's member commissions asking that mixed martial artists from Michigan not be granted a license. The motivation for the ABC's stance was Michigan's continued failure to report injuries, medical suspensions and failure to uphold the suspensions handed to fighters from other states. Chief among the concerns was which member commissions would uphold the ban on Michigan fighters. Speaking to two reputable commissions early in the day yesterday both gave the impression that most, but not necessarily all state commissions would respect the ABC's request. With Michigan fighter Daron Cruickshank set to compete on the upcoming Ultimate Fighter 15 season, it led to some questions of if Nevada would allow him to participate or if he just lost out on a huge moment in his career. I spoke to Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, yesterday evening and he informed me that Nevada does not have any plans to ban all Michigan fighters and that Cruickshank will experience no difficulties in his TUF participation. Related: Association of Boxing Commissions Tells Members Not To License Michigan Fighters "The request by the ABC is well intended in trying to look out for the health and safety of fighters, but it is a bit too far reaching to ban all fighters from a state from being granted a license" Kizer told Bloody Elbow. When speaking about the problems with results and suspensions not being reported by the state, Kizer explained "All fighters have an obligation, under penalty of perjury, to give us a detailed recent history." Kizer also explained that he has no problem looking fighters up on Google to see if they have recent history (through results posts, YouTube videos, etc.) that they are not making the commission aware of. So, very good news for Michigan fighters from the biggest commission in the game. Given that Nevada is the real trendsetter for the other commissions, this may be the push that some who were on the fence needed to make the decision to not deny these fighters a license.

Posted in: fighter, commission, nevada, michigan, michigan fighters

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On Dave Meltzer's Wednesday update at The Wrestling Observer, there was a very strange single line stating that the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) told commissions to no longer recognize events that take place in the state of Michigan, nor license any fighters from the state. The ABC is made up of commission members from across the country and exists to provide communication between different commissions, standardize record keeping, ensure adherence to federal regulations and look out for the health and well being of fighters. Despite the name, they are just as involved with the MMA aspects of commissions as they are with the boxing side, and the letter that was sent out specifically notes mixed martial artists, not boxers. After issuing a few requests I was able to get my hands on the letter sent out to the ABC members and get the actual details of what is going on. Basically it comes down to Michigan's continued inability (or unwillingness) to adhere to basic standards of regulation. The state has continually failed to report results of events and injury suspensions as well as ignoring existing medical and drug suspensions of fighters which came out of issues in other states. This has been an ongoing problem which basically forced the ABC to take the drastic step of requesting its members not recognize Michigan events and, much more importantly, blacklist fighters who are coming out of the state. This is just one of the many, many issues with the Michigan MMA scene. Being from the state, I've seen multiple events held with the only medical professional on hand being a local "diet doctor," events where guys show up to the building with their hands already wrapped, guys with lengthy pro resumes fighting on an "amateur" card (where they get paid) against a guy with only one amateur fight and other horrific situations. The commission does a laughably poor job and this is yet another hurdle that ensures the UFC won't be coming back any time soon. When reaching out to members of two different prominent commissions I was told that most commissions will, in fact, honor this letter. Effectively, fighters who reside in Michigan are now unlikely to be able to find any fights outside of the state until the commission cleans up its act and shows that they're willing to act like the professionals they are supposed to be. The full letter can be read after the jump... Here's the full letter that was sent out to ABC members: On October 6, 2011, I sent the attached letter to Dr. James Webber, Chairman of the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission. The purpose of the letter was to formally provide notice of the concerns which the ABC had with the non-regulation of events in Michigan. After speaking to Dr. Weber, he seems very concerned about the way both professional and amateur sports are being regulated in Michigan, but he realizes the way the law is written in Michigan, the Commission has no power whatsoever to remedy these blatant and obvious health and safety concerns. The Michigan legislature has a great opportunity to make changes for the betterment of the sport and protect the health, safety and welfare of the contestant and ensure fair and equitable contests for all involved. Sadly, HB4295 in its present from fails to remedy the issues at hand in any fashion. The ABC has failed, through its many and repeated communication attempts, to get the State of Mchigan to amend its policies and practices. However, the ABC cannot sit idly by while Michigan's actions, or lack thereof, constitute threat to the health and safety of mixed martial arts; and the integrity and fairness of mixed martial arts contests. Michigan has allowed promoters of events to consistently fail to comply regarding the reporting of results and any suspensions from mixed martial arts contests. In addition, Michigan has a repeated record of allowing mixed martial artists to compete regardless of medical or drug suspensions in place. In conclusion, the ABC sees no other option but to ask its over eighty-seven member commissions to bar any fighter with a Michigan address, a Michigan mixed martial arts identification card, or a recent record showing competition in Michigan. Otherwise, member Commissions may not realize the true record of the competitors, the medical status of the competitors, and the suspension history of the competitors.

Posted in: commission, state, member, michigan, abc

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No surprise, but the NSAC issued Nick Diaz a temporary suspension today for testing positive for marijuana following his interim welterweight title fight against Carlos Condit at UFC 143. Diaz will be under the temporary suspension until he appears in front of the commission at a formal hearing which has yet to be scheduled. Diaz will have the opportunity to present his case at that time, which the commission fully expects will include a request for a retroactive medical marijuana exemption. It also sounds like the commission will have some arguments of their own against that should Diaz’s attorney bring it up. “I also have some information, as far as from a legal research perspective, to bring on that,” NSAC commissioner Pat Lundvall said of the possible issue. It’s unknown what length of suspension Diaz will get, but Keith Kizer noted that previous repeats offenders were given 12-month suspensions. Whatever happens, Diaz’s close friend and training partner Jake Shields believes Nick will be back. He told Kimura.se that he thinks Nick is “burned out” and needs some time away from MMA to recapture his “love” for fighting. Image via Esther Lin for MMA Fighting

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, nick, suspension, commission

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Nick Diaz won't be competing in Nevada any time soon after being officially suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday.

Posted in: diaz, nevada state, commission, nevada, ufcs diaz

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Not that this is some big surprise but a meeting was held today in Nevada to suspend Nick Diaz's license stemming from his failed drug test at UFC 143 this past Feb. 4, 2012, in Las Vegas. The meeting held today was more or less a formality and simply a way for the Commission to temporarily suspend Diaz's license while preparing for a disciplinary meeting later on. MMAFighting.com has more: During Wednesday's meeting, commission chairman Skip Avansino requested notes and minutes from the 2007 Nevada matter, as well as any related disciplinary information from other states in preparation of Diaz's upcoming hearing. The stage was also set for a possible defense that could include a retroactive request for a medical marijuana exemption, as Eccles noted a belief that "the question will come up" given Diaz's personal license for medical use in California. It's interesting to point out that Diaz could use his medical marijuana license in California has a defense for his failed test in Nevada. There's no real precedent for a matter such as this at present time so there's no discernible way to tell exactly what that will mean regarding potential discipline or lack thereof. All we know is that this is the second time Diaz has failed a drug test in Nevada and the Commission is going to attempt to punish him accordingly. Diaz's drug test failure marred an event that was already crawling in controversy, thanks to the main event bout going to a five-round decision finish that few were satisfied with. In fact, Diaz retired in disgust after the bout, proclaiming his dislike for the scoring system in place in MMA. His team, led by Cesar Gracie, immediately started campaigning for a rematch, so that didn't last long, of course. Jake Shields, a teammate of his, believes he'll rediscover his love for MMA during the suspension that is surely coming, whenever that may be. And for however long it may happen. Unless, of course, the retroactive marijuana medical exemption defense actually works. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for further updates to this story as they happen.

Posted in: diaz, commission, meeting, license, nevada

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Following his decision loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143, Nick Diaz' drug screening came back positive for marijuana metabolites. This is the second time that Diaz has tested positive for marijuana in Nevade with the first time following his fight against Takanori Gomi at Pride 33 in 2007. He was suspended for six months and fined twenty percent of his fight purse. The win was also overturned to a no contest. A temporary suspension of his fight license has been handed down to Diaz on the Wednesday meeting following his UFC 143 positive test. The request was made by Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy Attorney General and the commission unanimously agreed on the motion. A follow up disciplinary meeting will be scheduled where Nick Diaz will be able to defend his usage of marijuana. Nick Diaz was not on the call Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday's pre-hearing was overseen by commission chairman Skip Avansino, who requested that documentation from the 2007 hearing be made available as well as any disciplinary actions handed down from other commissions. Diaz had prior issues with the California State Athletic Commission while in Strikeforce. Diaz' case is unique as marijuana is prescribed by a doctor to help him with his ADHD in the state of California. He will likely request exemption for medicinal marijuana usage. This is without precedent as there has never been another case of a fighter asking for marijuana exemption. There is also a possibility that Diaz would request a retroactive exemption which could possibly change the No Contest back to a win. Diaz could face up to a year suspension as well as a financial fine. The commission requested his financial earning from UFC 143 which would put not just his purse but any bonuses received at risk. His base salary was $200,000 though it is very likely that he also received undisclosed "locker room" and PPV based bonuses as well. SBN coverage of UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit

Posted in: ufc, diaz, nick, commission, marijuana

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Following a failed drug test after UFC 143 on February 4th, Nick Diaz has been temporarily suspended by Nevada Athletic Commission. The suspension was issued on Wednesday, and will be in place until a follow-up meeting takes place, which is where the long-term future of Diaz will be decided. That meeting is expected to take place in April. The commission will look over all information related to Diaz’s drug test for UFC 143, along with a failed drug test from February 2007, after Diaz’s fight with Takanori Gomi at Pride 33, which also took place in Nevada. Diaz was suspended for six months following the failed drug test, and his submission victory over Gomi was overturned and ruled a no contest. Because of his previous suspension by the same commission, it is likely that a second suspension will be more severe. A one year suspension is expected, along with possibly facing a fine. The commission requested information concerning Diaz’s full fight purse from UFC 143, in which he earned $200,000 for the fight, per his contract. Additional bonuses that Diaz received will also be looked at by the commission. Since Diaz is licensed for medical marijuana in the state of California, the commission will also look over the defense by Diaz that he is legally allowed to use the Nevada prohibited drug.

Posted in: diaz, nick diaz, drug, commission, drug test

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A temporary suspension of Nick Diaz's fighter license was issued during a Wednesday meeting of the Nevada state athletic commission, stemming from the positive drug sample he produced during the weekend of UFC 143. The suspension was requested by Nevada deputy attorney general Christopher Eccles, and unanimously approved by the commission until a follow-up disciplinary meeting can be scheduled. At that hearing, Diaz will have the opportunity to present a defense. He was not present at Wednesday's meeting. When he does sit before the commission, he will likely have to answer not only for his recent drug screening failure which saw him test positive for marijuana metabolites, but also for a previous failed screening back in February 2007, also for marijuana. At that time, he was suspended for six months and fined 20 percent of his purse. During Wednesday's meeting, commission chairman Skip Avansino requested notes and minutes from the 2007 Nevada matter, as well as any related information from any states in preparation of Diaz's upcoming disciplinary hearing. The stage was also set for a possible defense that could include a retroactive request for a medical marijuana exemption, as Eccles noted a personal belief that "the question will come up" given Diaz's personal license for medical use in California. NSAC executive director Keith Kizer recently told MMA Fighting that no fighter had ever applied for a medial marijuana therapeutic use exemption, but that the commission would take the same steps as normal when considering the request. In addition to as much as a one-year suspension, Diaz faces the possibility of a financial fine, as the commission asked to receive "full data" on his purse as well as any bonuses. Diaz earned a salary of $200,000 for the bout, but likely received undisclosed bonuses that can also be affected. Diaz has hired Las Vegas attorney Ross Goodman to defend him during the upcoming hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Posted in: diaz, commission, meeting, marijuana, nevada

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Dana White sounds off on the way the Nevada State Athletic Commission treats certain fighters and other fighters.

Posted in: fighter, dana, mmasupremacy, nevada state, commission

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Our beloved sport is one where men can literally be injected with testosterone, and as long as they have a prescription from a doctor and stay within Athletic Commission dictated levels then it's perfectly OK. You can't smoke weed though, even if you have a prescription. In fact, if you smoke weed you could be banned from the sport for an undetermined amount of time, and to make matters worse your bosses just hired Snoop Dog for the Xmas party. It's all someone can do to stay strong minded to keep away from that devil plant. Hmm, now I'm confused. Does this mean the AC thinks marijuana positively affects a fighter's performance more than strictly regimented dosages of sweet, pure, testosterone? The good s***? I mean, yeah...I guess it does. Ronda Rousey just joined our friend Travis on MMAWeekly radio and put the Athletic Commissions of the world fully blast about this whole weed testing thing. Agree with her or not, it's definitely worth a listen. [Source]

Posted in: mmaweekly radio, commission, weed, fighters performance, friend travis

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submitted by boywbrownhare [link] [comment]

Posted in: nick diaz, commission, marijuana, boywbrownhare, boywbrownhare link

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Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, who quickly established himself as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 170-pound number one contender upon his Octagon return in 2011, tested positive for marijuana following his UFC 143 loss to Carlos Condit back on Feb. 4 in Las Vegas. For Diaz, the infraction marked the second time he's been popped for the green stuff in Nevada, having flunked his exam after strangling Takanori Gomi at PRIDE 33 nearly five years ago. And let's not overlook the drug test he bailed on prior to his planned fight against Jay Hieron in California. While Diaz has the right to appeal, he's expected to face a steep monetary fine, as well as a lengthy suspension that could last as long as one year. Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) Executive Director Keith Kizer explains the next steps for Diaz (via SiriusXM Fight Club) after the jump. "Mr. Diaz will receive the complaint. The complaints have been mailed to him. He'll receive the complaint by mail and he'll have 20 days upon receipt to file an answer. With the complaint, those are just allegations at this time. There's been no finding against him. He'll have ample opportunity to respond to the complaint and then we'd put it on for a hearing at a time that works for him as well as the Attorney General's office probably April based on past disciplinary complaints and at that time, there'll be a hearing before the full commission and then they make a decision at that time and if they found the athlete guilty, they'd then impose whatever discipline they felt was appropriate." UFC President Dana White released a statement in the wake of the commission's findings, expressing his "disappointment" in the Stockton slugger's inability to play by the rules. Diaz is not expected to be released based on this transgression, as ZUFFA chief Lorenzo Fertitta told Twitter followers he would be accepted back into the promotion after serving his time. Anyone agree with that decision? For more on the fallout from UFC 143: "Diaz vs. Condit" and the ensuing drug test fiasco click here, here and here. MMAmania.com's Brian Hemminger contributed to this report.

Posted in: ufc, diaz, time, commission, complaint

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Let's establish two facts from the outset. First, Nick Diaz's use of marijuana to the extent it produced a positive drug test result is irresponsible. Second, the urinalysis test regarding marijuana consumption used by athletic commissions (ostensibly) designed to protect the health and safety of fighters does neither and is little more than kabuki theater. The UFC has every right to be disappointed with Nick Diaz. They invested huge sums of money and other promotional resources to push him, his fight and build him as a pay-per-view attraction. As incoherent and insane as some of the rules may be (more on that in a minute), he accepted the handshake. That meant not only fighting Condit, it also included media promotion and some measure of clean living. For him to test positive on the urinalysis - which could've resulted in promotional disaster for the UFC had he actually defeated Condit at UFC 143 - is the height of unprofessionalism and represents a total failure as a partner to the UFC. But it's also true, and perhaps more important, that the urinalysis test (MMAFighting.com has confirmed Nevada uses urinalyses to test fighters for various banned substances, including marijuana) used by the Nevada State Athletic Commssion (NSAC) to gauge marijuana use does not perform the function it purports to do. "[Marijuana] is banned because of the damage it does to the person taking it," said Keith Kizer, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Officer to the L.A. Times. "It could make you lethargic, slow your reflexes, and those are dangerous things in a combat sport." Kizer's argument is technically true, but incredibly misleading. In order to have any relevance in the combat sports context - remember, Diaz is medically cleared to use it in his personal life by a licensed medical practitioner - Kizer's argument has to apply to a fighter's state during sanctioned competition. After all, it's fair to argue no fighter should be competing under the euphoric effects of marijuana. Here's the problem: urinalysis tests are incapable of determining when a person used. According to drug use expert, author and Senior Editor of Reason magazine Jacob Sullum, it is scientific fact urinalyses only determine that someone used, not when. "[The urinalysis] shows that the drug has been consumed at some point," said Sullum, "but it doesn't pinpoint when and the problem arises mainly with marijuana because there's a very long detection window for marijuana ranging anywhere from a few days up to a month after somebody has smoked a joint depending on how heavy of a smoker they are, it can be detected for quite a long time after they're not high anymore so it's not a measure of intoxication or impairment, it's an indicator that they have consumed marijuana at some point in the past possibly, quite a time ago." "If you're doing it with urine," Sullum continued, "it's not going to be a measurement of current intoxication or impairment simply because what you're measuring is metabolized after the marijuana is processed. So just by the nature of the test, it's never going to be the test of somebody's current condition." If a urinalysis can't determine current levels of impairment, what can? Sullum says no method is perfect, but blood tests (generally, a more expensive proposition) is a significantly more accurate measurement. "[The blood test] is measuring THC levels in the blood so that's a better indicator, just like with alcohol, you want to know if somebody had a drink recently and how much have they consumed, you can get an idea of that by looking at the alcohol in their blood because that's what's affecting them right now. If there's THC in their blood above a certain cutoff, that's affecting you right now. If it's in your urine, it's not. Your urine is not circulated through your body so the relevant concern is what's actually affecting you now. Blood is a much more accurate measure of that". What's worse, the urinalysis puts a heavy burden on the marijuana user over other banned substances - like cocaine - that pose greater health risks but have shorter detection windows. "Yeah, it's a shorter window for other drugs," said Sullum. "Marijuana is unusual in that it's such a long window but even with other drugs, it can be a day or two or three depending upon the drug." Nick Diaz's problem isn't that he used marijuana in too close a proximity to the fight. By the commission's own perverse enforcement system, it's that he's got the wrong drug of choice. It is more understandable your standard employer would use a urinalysis as a screen for potential hires. All they want is peace of mind you're not using drugs. But they don't need to know if when you took it you were or weren't high. That level of specificity is overkill. Athletic commissions not only have the need, they have the responsibility. When commissions use urinalysis to measure impairment of marijuana and other banned substances, no one's health is protected, no one's safety is at issue. In administering these tests, they become less a governing body tasked with regulating the sport and more just vice cops regulating personal behavior unrelated to occupational demands. Blame Nick Diaz all you like. He knew what he was getting into. The larger issue, however, isn't about him. It's a question of the efficacy of athletic commission protocol and the damaging penalties they hand out when fighters run afoul of demonstrably meaningless screens. Talk about reefer madness.

Posted in: test, drug, commission, marijuana, urinalysi

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In the wake of UFC 143, we were all left with yet another decision which half of the population disagrees. Dana White and The Nevada State Athletic Commission have acknowledged the need for reformation. Dana White, the proverbial Martin Luther if you will, is blowing his whistle by enumerating instances of poor refereeing and judging. Dana says it drives him nuts; he also indicates the issue as a major crux in the evolution of the sport. “I’ve said it many times. In the evolution of this sport right now, one of the big problems we’re having right now is judging and reffing. It’s one of the things that drives me crazy and attention needs to be paid to scoring and reffing. First of all, it affects guys careers as far as legacies go. Jon Jones? Jon Jones should be undefeated right now but he’s not, he’s got a loss on his record and there’s tons of guys in the UFC that have those. There’s guys who’ve absolutely, clearly won fights and lost on the judges’ scorecards. Nobody’s perfect. There’s always gonna be problems. But the judging and the reffing is so bad in mixed martial arts, it drives me crazy. The fans hate it too and it hurts the sport. These athletic commissions really need to tighten up and start working on educating their refs and judges.” On a positive note, Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, has indicated that there will be an “open mic night” that will allow anybody interested in the sport to come and vocalize his opinion on rule changes and reformations to the Unified Rules. Only time will tell how serious the commission is about making actual changes, but if history repeats itself, we may be more likely to see rule changes actually be implemented sooner rather than later. Nevada’s Athletic Commission is as good as any when it comes to keeping up with change. Image via ESPN

Posted in: sport, dana, commission, change, rule changes

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission is likely to hear the case of Nick Diaz sometime in April, according to NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer. For now, Diaz is temporarily suspended following a disciplinary complaint filed by the NSAC to the Nevada Attorney General that states the fighter broke rule 467.850 of the commission's administrative code when he tested positive for marijuana metabolites following UFC 143. At the NSAC's next meeting on Feb. 22, Kizer will ask the commission to uphold the temporary suspension until the formal hearing in April, where Diaz is expected to answer to the complaint.

Posted in: diaz, commission, april, nsac, nevada attorney

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submitted by MattyBlayze [link] [1 comment]

Posted in: nevada state, mattyblayze, commission, state, rulechange

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission has today confirmed that a fighter competing on last Saturday's UFC 143 card has tested positive for banned substances. NSAC Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer made the confirmation via email on Thursday, stating that while at least one athlete has tested positive, he is unable to offer an specifics at the time."Thank you for the many email and phone calls. I am still waiting for all the steroid and drug test results to come back," Kizer explained. "We did have

Posted in: test, nevada state, commission, drug test, kizer

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In a few weeks, the Nevada State Athletic Commission is opening the floor to ideas on how to better regulate MMA. The commission today gave notice of a workshop designed to "to solicit comments from interested persons on any matter related to contests or exhibitions of unarmed combat, or any other matter within the jurisdiction of the NSAC." "Which is pretty much a glorified public comment session, where anyone and everyone who wants to put ideas out there for the commission to consider, we definitely welcome that," NSAC executive director Keith Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com.

Posted in: nevada state, commission, commission today, nsac, regulation changes

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Despite all the claims to the contrary, mostly by pro-boxing pundits and union workers with an ax to grind against Station Casinos, it appears as though Zuffa, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is not a monopoly after all. Perhaps that ESPN "Outside the Lines" video expose was all smoke and no fire? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last Wednesday (Jan. 25, 2012) informed the law firm of Axinn, Veltrop, and Harkrider, retained by Zuffa to represent them during the inquiry, that it was closing its investigation into the world's largest fight promotion and that "no further action is warranted by the commission." At least for now. See an excerpt from that letter, after the jump. The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition has been conducting a nonpublic investigation to determine whether Zuffa, LLC’s acquisition of Explosion Entertainment, LLC may violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the Commission at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed. This action is not to be construed as a determination that a violation may not have occurred, just as the pendency of an investigation should not be construed as a determination that a violation has occurred. The Commission reserves the right to take such further action as the public interest may require. A full copy of the letter is available on the FTC website here. The UFC has long been a target of monopoly theorists as it gobbled up smaller, rival promotions, like the Strikeforce mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, formerly based in San Jose, in early 2011. Still, there are plenty of places for combat sports athletes to fight, such as Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), DREAM, ONE FC, BAMMA and of course, Bellator. Anyone think this issue will be put to rest? Or is this merely a temporary reprieve?

Posted in: zuffa, action, commission, investigation, trade

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The UFC notched a major win in the ongoing battle against the Culinary Workers Union this week when the Federal Trade Commission announced it had found no wrongdoing in the case of Zuffa purchasing Strikeforce. The FTC was made aware of the transaction in a letter from the union stating the UFC/Zuffa had violated anti-trust laws by obtaining an unfair grasp on MMA by taking over Strikeforce, seen at the time as the #2 promotion in the sport. “Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the commission at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed,” read the FTC’s report on the matter. The commission also clarified it could take further action if deemed in the “public interest” but simply hadn’t found a reason to look into things further. Specifically the areas being reviewed were whether or not the UFC was a monopoly and whether or not their status had been achieved by less than savory means. While the Culinary Workers Union does not necessarily have an issue with the UFC in particular, the organization has been at war with Fertitta-owned Station Casinos for years based on their policy to use non-unionized employees. The Culinary Workers Union is also believed to be behind the UFC’s struggles to get MMA licensed in New York as a means of getting at Zuffa and the Fertittas. PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Posted in: ufc, commission, union, workers union, sport “

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Josh Gross from ESPN.com first reported that the Federal Trade Commision has closed a non-public investigation into the UFC’s purchase of Strikeforce as of last week. Documents published on the FTC website dated January 25, confirm the FTC’s Bureau of Competition conducted an investigation to determine whether the $34 million acquisition of Explosion Entertainment, LLC, by UFC’s parent company, Zuffa LLC, violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. … In closing letters issued to counsel for Zuffa and Explosion Entertainment, FTC secretary Donald S. Clark stated, “Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the Commission at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed.” The full letter from the FTC is below: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20580 Office of the Secretary January 25, 2012 Stephen Axinn, Esq. Axinn Veltrop, and Harkrider LLP 1330 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20036 Re: Acquisition of Explosion Entertainment, LLC (Strikeforce) by Zuffa, LLC (UFC) FTC File No. 111 0136 Dear Mr. Axinn: The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition has been conducting a nonpublic investigation to determine whether Zuffa, LLC’s acquisition of Explosion Entertainment, LLC may violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the Commission at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed. This action is not to be construed as a determination that a violation may not have occurred, just as the pendency of an investigation should not be construed as a determination that a violation has occurred. The Commission reserves the right to take such further action as the public interest may require. By direction of the Commission. Donald S. Clark Secretary

Posted in: commission, investigation, trade, ftc, llc

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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has posted notice on its web site today stating that its Bureau of Competition has closed its investigation of the UFC's acquisition of Strikeforce. Technically the FTC was investigating the purchase of Explosion Entertainment, LLC for $34 million by the UFC's parent company Zuffa LLC in March, 2011. They were looking to see if the purchase violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The purchase was first reported by MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani. In the PDF posted on the FTC site, Donald S. Clark, FTC Secretary wrote, "Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the Commission at this time. Accordingly, the investigation has been closed." Strikeforce was put on the market when its major financial partner, Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment elected to get out of the MMA business. SVSE owns the San Jose Sharks of the NHL and are seeking to bring another major sports franchise to San Jose.

Posted in: ufc, strikeforce, commission, purchase, ftc

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The Federal Trade Commission has ended a long-running investigation into Zuffa's business practices. "Upon further review of this matter, it now appears that no further action is warranted by the commission at this time," stated a letter published by FTC secretary Donald S. Clark. "Accordingly, the investigation has been closed." Zuffa chief counsel Lawrence Epstein declined to comment on the ruling when contacted today by MMAjunkie.com.

Posted in: commission, investigation, trade commission, longrunning investigation, ufcstrikeforce deal

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Filed under: UFC, NewsAll drug tests administered at UFC 141 came back negative for prohibited substances, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer on Monday. Every fighter on the card, except for Jon Fitch, was tested. The news is especially significant considering Alistair Overeem was tested twice on fight week and passed both times. Overeem also passed the test he took in London prior to flying to Vegas, which was asked of him by the commission after he failed to meet their out-of-competition drug test requirements in November. In a December hearing, which saw the NSAC grant Overeem a conditional license until he passed the drug test in London, the commission also announced that they will reserve the right to test Overeem one more time within the next six months. Below is a list of all the fighters tested at UFC 141: Alistair Overeem Brock Lesnar Nate Diaz Donald Cerrone Johny Hendricks Alexander Gustafsson Vladimir Matyushenko Jimy Hettes Nam Phan Ross Pearson Junior Assuncao Anthony Njokuani Danny Castillo Sean Pierson Dong Hyun Kim Jacob Volkmann Efrain Escudero Manny Gamburyan Diego Nunes Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, overeem, test, drug, commission

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Although not yet announced by the promotion, Strikeforce's second trip to the popular Arnold Sports Festival is all but official. Ohio Athletic Commission Executive Director Bernie Profato today confirmed to MMAjunkie.com that the promotion has filed an event request for March 3 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. While a list of bouts has yet to be submitted for commission approval, the event is expected to feature the finals of the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix.

Posted in: strikeforce, event, commission, strikeforce heavyweight, ohio

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The California State Athletic Commission on Friday announced that Cris “Cyborg” Santos tested positive for her most recent fight.

Posted in: friday, commission, california state, cyborg, cri

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The California State Athletic Commission has released some very disappointing news in the wake of Cristiane Santos' latest title defense. The statement: CALIFORNIA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION SUSPENDS LICENSE OF FIGHTER CRISTIANE JUSTINO SANTOS - a.k.a. CRIS CYBORG Mixed Martial Arts fighter tested positive for anabolic steroid in December 16, 2011 test The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Cristiane Justino Santos, better known in MMA circles as Cris Cyborg, and has fined her $2,500 as the result of a positive test for a banned substance. Santos' December 16, 2011 drug test came back positive for stanozolol metabolites. CSAC learned of the test results December 23, 2011 and suspended Santos's license, with the suspension applied retroactively to December 16, 2011. In accordance with Rule 368, the result of her last fight between Hiroko Yamanaka will be changed to a "No Decision". "Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters," said CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd. "Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use." The use of certain substances, including anabolic steroids, is prohibited under the Commission's regulations, and CSAC has among the toughest drug testing standards of any Athletic Commission in the country. It is the only commission that requires urine samples to be taken in the presence of a commission representative prior to a bout. Santos's provision of a urine sample was observed by a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California, Los Angeles. Santos has the right to appeal the suspension of her license. I can't help but think that this is a death knell for Strikeforce's women's featherweight division. The field is, in general, extremely thin, and the organization has from the start had a difficult time finding contenders for Santos (and Gina Carano before her). I can't imagine that Strikeforce will be eager to continue building a weight class around Santos if they can't depend on her. This also puts Ronda Rousey's title shot in an interesting light. It would seem that Strikeforce matchmakers were well aware of Santos' coming suspension and matched Rousey up accordingly.

Posted in: test, commission, california state, csac, cristiane

Read the full article at Head Kick Legend

I can't believe this. All we wanted in our lives was a Frate Trane the likes of which we have never seen, dominating ladies across the globe while we secretly hoped for a Cyborg Vs. Male fighter X bout to happen. Now all of that is out the window. Guys, Cristiane Cyborg Santos has tested positive for banned substances. This news comes straight from a press release from the California State Athletic commission, bumming out everyone in the process. Her fight against Yamanaka is now a no contest and pending an appeal we have to go through the nasty process of removing her from the Frate Trane list. Here is the whole sordid communication from the CSAC: The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Cristiane Justino Santos, better known in MMA circles as Cris Cyborg, and has fined her $2,500 as the result of a positive test for a banned substance. Santos’ December 16, 2011 drug test came back positive for stanozolol metabolites. CSAC learned of the test results December 23, 2011 and suspended Santos’s license, with the suspension applied retroactively to December 16, 2011. In accordance with Rule  368, the result of her last fight between Hiroko Yamanaka will be changed to a “No Decision”. “Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters,” said CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd.  “Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use." The use of certain substances, including anabolic steroids, is prohibited under the Commission’s regulations, and CSAC has among the toughest drug testing standards of any Athletic Commission in the country. It is the only commission that requires urine samples to be taken in the presence of a commission representative prior to a bout. Santos’s provision of a urine sample was observed by a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California, Los Angeles. Santos has the right to appeal the suspension of her license. [Source]

Posted in: test, commission, california state, substance, csac

Read the full article at Middle Easy

A very major development in the world of women's mixed martial arts as the suspicions of many appear to have been confirmed. The state of California has released a press release stating that Cristiane Santos, better known as "Cyborg" has tested positive for steroids. From the release: The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Cristiane Justino Santos, better known in MMA circles as Cris Cyborg, and has fined her $2,500 as the result of a positive test for a banned substance. Santos' December 16, 2011 drug test came back positive for stanozolol metabolites. CSAC learned of the test results December 23, 2011 and suspended Santos's license, with the suspension applied retroactively to December 16, 2011. In accordance with Rule 368, the result of her last fight between Hiroko Yamanaka will be changed to a "No Decision". We'll have much more on this in the coming hours and days but these are the facts as California tells it. The full release is after the jump. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal Full press release: CALIFORNIA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION SUSPENDS LICENSE OF FIGHTER CRISTIANE JUSTINO SANTOS - a.k.a. CRIS CYBORG Mixed Martial Arts fighter tested positive for anabolic steroid in December 16, 2011 test The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has suspended the license of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Cristiane Justino Santos, better known in MMA circles as Cris Cyborg, and has fined her $2,500 as the result of a positive test for a banned substance. Santos' December 16, 2011 drug test came back positive for stanozolol metabolites. CSAC learned of the test results December 23, 2011 and suspended Santos's license, with the suspension applied retroactively to December 16, 2011. In accordance with Rule 368, the result of her last fight between Hiroko Yamanaka will be changed to a "No Decision". "Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters," said CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd. "Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use." The use of certain substances, including anabolic steroids, is prohibited under the Commission's regulations, and CSAC has among the toughest drug testing standards of any Athletic Commission in the country. It is the only commission that requires urine samples to be taken in the presence of a commission representative prior to a bout. Santos's provision of a urine sample was observed by a CSAC representative and the sample was sent to the World Anti-doping Agency test facility at the University of California, Los Angeles. Santos has the right to appeal the suspension of her license.

Posted in: test, december, commission, california, csac

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Filed under: UFCDuane Ludwig was at the post office when he found out that he was now a UFC record-holder. "It was kind of funny, the timing of it," he said. The UFC lightweight was right in the middle of mailing off one of his signature 'Bang' jerseys as a Christmas gift for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, when he got word that the UFC was officially recognizing his 2006 knockout of Jonathan Goulet as the fastest in the organization's history. "We all know Joe's kind of shorter in stature, but I was so excited about what was going on that I almost sent him a double extra-large jersey," Ludwig said. "It just showed my mind wasn't on the task at hand." For Ludwig, it meant a successful end to a campaign to get his eleven-second win over Goulet officially changed to a four-second stoppage, which would make his knockout the fastest in UFC history -- faster than heavyweight Todd Duffee's seven-second KO of Tim Hague in 2009 or Chan Sung Jung's seven-second finish of Mark Hominick earlier this month. But then, a lot depends on how you define the term 'officially,' and who you look to to make that distinction. It's a discussion we probably wouldn't be having right now if not for one suspect time-keeper's call in January of 2006. At a UFC Fight Night event at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, Ludwig fired off a single right hand that sent Goulet crashing head-first to the mat almost as soon as the fight began. When referee Mario Yamasaki rushed in to stop it, the clock showed four minutes and 56 seconds left in the first round. But somehow, when it was entered into the official record, Ludwig's win went down as an eleven-second finish rather than a four-second one. To Ludwig, the difference seemed insignificant at first. He might not have even known about the discrepancy had UFC color commentator Joe Rogan not alerted him to it, he said. "Joe Rogan actually MySpaced me -- this was back when we were all using MySpace -- and he told me, hey, you got screwed on the timing. I didn't really care at the time. I said, you know, thanks and I appreciate it, but I didn't really understand marketing back then." It wasn't until three years later, when Duffee made headlines with a seven-second knockout that was immediately declared the fastest in UFC history, that Ludwig began to realize that there was real value in the distinction. "When Todd Duffee got all that recognition for getting the fastest knockout record in seven seconds, I thought, well, that's actually mine, and in four seconds," said Ludwig. "Back when it actually happened, I didn't care about the publicity or anything, but now that I'm getting older and, I guess, wiser, I understand marketing a little bit and I know that can help me and help me help others." Ludwig began to push for the timing of his win to be officially changed -- a goal he said was supported by UFC president Dana White. When MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani asked White about it in an interview after UFC 140 in Toronto, Ludwig said, that's when things started to snowball. "Ariel Helwani, he helped a lot because he was the first guy to publicly put Dana White on the spot about it. It wouldn't have happened any other way, so that was really cool of him." On December 24, White sent out a tweet to Ludwig telling the fighter "for x mas you have the fastest KO in UFC history and it will be changed ASAP." The news made Ludwig "happy as a clam," he said. But the question is, which records will reflect the change? The UFC has no control over the official time, which is kept in this case by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. That governing body has thus far shown very little eagerness to admit a nearly six-year-old mistake and make the requisite changes. The NSAC offices were closed due to the holidays on Monday, and requests for comment on the matter went unreturned, but UFC officials indicated that the change could be entirely internal, with the UFC altering the records on its website and recognizing Ludwig as the holder of the organization's fastest knockout regardless of whether the NSAC is willing to do the same. And according to Ludwig, that would be just fine with him. "A lot of people still don't even know that the UFC has these athletic commissions, that they're governed by a third party," he said. "And of course, we know that the commissions sometimes make questionable calls, so I think the more credible source is the UFC anyway. I'm a hundred percent fine with the UFC being the one to make it official. I'd prefer that, actually." The way Ludwig sees it, it's not so much about re-writing history as it is about getting the recognition he feels he's already earned. As long as the UFC and MMA fans acknowledge what he did and allow him to honestly lay claim to the record, he said, he's unconcerned with what the athletic commission decides to do. "Every athlete is always looking for a way to separate himself from the pack. This is a record that will probably never be [broken]. It never happened before, and it'll probably never happen again. It's definitely a cool thing to have next to your name," he said, adding, "It's also a good story to tell the kids. When I'm old and telling that story I can joke with them and go, you better go to bed because I can knock you out in four seconds." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, record, knockout, commission, ludwig

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Earlier this month Michael David Smith of MMAFighting peered into the familiar window of an athletic commission failing to do its job. Jose Figueroa (10-6) was knockout out by former foe Artiom Damkovsky just two minutes into the fight at M-1's Challenge 30 show, December 9th in California. The problem? Daniel Weichel had knocked Figueroa out 3 weeks prior less than two minutes into the bout at M-1 Global's Fedor vs. Monsoon event in Russia. As to how this could have happened, well, Figueroa failed to notify the commission of his last bout. George Dodd, CSAC's executive officer, expressed remorse over the situation. The show of regret is a nice touch. But it's only because Dodd's behavior is atypical of an official accepting responsibility that we feel the need to applaud his transparency. When Dodd considers disciplinary action against the fighter for failing to notify the commission of his last bout, we're left wondering why a fighter would ever be punished for failing to do the commission's job that could have been resolved with a quick trip to Sherdog's fight finder. As Smith notes: But even if Figueroa failed to list his last fight on his paperwork, why didn't the CSAC do its own research? It's not like Figueroa's Moscow fight was a secret: It aired live on pay-per-view in the United States as the co-main event on the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jeff Monson card, and Figueroa's loss was listed as part of his record on several online databases, and also mentioned in several news articles about the Fedor-Monson fight. (A Google News search of Jose Figueroa's name reveals more than 10 articles that referenced Figueroa's November 20 loss prior to his December 9 fight.) 'Two knockouts in three weeks': this is not a piece of medical history that can be readily dismissed, and it's something Dodd addresses in Smith's article. It certainly isn't for the NFL. The league dealt with public scrutiny earlier this month when Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns took a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit, and concussion tests weren't conducted until after the game (his dad would later report that Colt couldn't remember anything from the game following the hit). Former NFL players Jamal Lewis, and Dorsey Levens are two among a growing number of players who are suing the league over brain related injuries. And the NHL is dealing with its own demons following the death of Derek Boogaard (out of the four NHL players who have had their brains looked at for the degenerative disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, he is the fourth to have it). Unlike the big leagues, I'm not sure MMA can afford its own Terry Long story. Michael David Smith can be found on twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Posted in: fight, commission, smith, dodd, figueroa

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Filed under: UFC, NewsAlistair Overeem has passed his December 14 drug test, clearing a major hurdle in the way of a scheduled UFC 141 main event matchup with Brock Lesnar. UFC president Dana White tweeted Overeem's clearance earlier Tuesday, and MMA Fighting confirmed the news with the Nevada state athletic commission (NSAC), which had ordered Overeem to take a new test after previous difficulties in obtaining a sample. Under the terms of a conditional license, Overeem is still subject to a standard pre-fight test the day before UFC 141, as well as two random drug tests in the next six months at his own expense. Last Monday, the Lesnar-Overeem fight was threatened when NSAC debated whether or not to issue Overeem a license. The commission's executive director Keith Kizer said that he tried to set up a random test on November 17, but Overeem didn't take a test until six days later and submitted himself to the wrong one. While that blood sample reportedly came back clean, NSAC asked him to provide a urine sample known as a "basic steroid panel." He did so on December 7, but the results hadn't been made available by the commission's Dec. 12 meeting. In addition, Overeem admitted that he had taken the test at his personal doctor's office. As it turns out, that sample ended up being untested and destroyed. Overeem blamed the problem on a confusion with dealing with state athletic commissions on random tests for the first time. But his subsequent test, taken in the UK two days after the NSAC hearing, came back "negative for all prohibited substances," according to Kizer.  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, overeem, test, commission, sample

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All UFC on Fox 1 drug screens came back clean, Sherdog.com confirmed with the California State Athletic Commission on Thursday.

Posted in: ufc, fox, commission, california state, sherdogcom

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Filed under: M-1 Global Jose Figueroa fought in Moscow on November 20 and was knocked out in the first round. Then he fought in California on December 9 and was knocked out in the first round again. Now the California State Athletic Commission says it regrets allowing Figueroa into the ring for that second knockout loss -- but the Commission says it was Figueroa who failed to disclose his prior knockout loss when he filled out the Commission's paperwork at the weigh-in on December 8. "Prior to the bout, Mr. Figueroa was required to file out a pre-fight questionnaire indicating his last bout and the outcome of that bout. Mr. Figueroa did not list that fight nor did he list that he lost by KO," CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd told MMAFighting.com. "If CSAC would have know that Mr. Figueroa had fought in Russia three weeks prior to this event and lost by KO, we would not have allowed this fight to occur. We take health and safety of combative athletes very seriously, but the athlete also has a responsibility as well." Dodd says he is looking into the possibility that Figueroa may face disciplinary action from the California Commission, something that Dodd says he hasn't had to do before. "I haven't taken any type of disciplinary action since I've been here against a fighter not stating his previous fight," Dodd said. But even if Figueroa failed to list his last fight on his paperwork, why didn't the CSAC do its own research? It's not like Figueroa's Moscow fight was a secret: It aired live on pay-per-view in the United States as the co-main event on the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Jeff Monson card, and Figueroa's loss was listed as part of his record on several online databases, and also mentioned in several news articles about the Fedor-Monson fight. (A Google News search of Jose Figueroa's name reveals more than 10 articles that referenced Figueroa's November 20 loss prior to his December 9 fight.) Dodd says the California Commission was relying on a database that had not been updated with Figueroa's November 20 fight. "The California State Athletic Commission reviews the Association of Boxing Commission (ABC) mixed martial arts website to review past fights and suspensions of fighters," Dodd told MMAFighting.com. "They did not list Jose Figueroa's previous fight in Russia nor did it list that he was on any type of suspension." Dodd acknowledges that allowing a fighter to get knocked out twice in less than three weeks can have potentially serious health consequences. "I think with any type of fighter that's been knocked out, a rush into the ring is the same thing as a football player who's been knocked out -- the secondary concussions are just as traumatic or more traumatic than the first one," Dodd said. "The brain and the body haven't healed themselves. So I take that seriously. In light of that, the fighter is at a greater risk when his body isn't able to recover after a KO loss. I'm not a medical doctor but in my experience and from what I've read about post-secondary concussions, yeah, it's definitely dangerous." Ultimately, the responsibility to prevent a fighter from getting knocked out twice in rapid succession is on everyone involved, Dodd says. "A fighter has the responsibility as well to ensure that he takes care of himself and doesn't put information down that could lead to disciplinary action against him," Dodd said. "They have a responsibility -- I think there's a lot of people that have the responsibility." Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, fighter, commission, dodd, figueroa

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Yesterday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission granted Alistair Overeem a conditional license to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141. This license was granted despite a number of issues the commission had with the timing of the tests, the method of testing Overeem used and the level of communication they received from Alistair. Those who follow me on Twitter no doubt saw me have a bit of a meltdown over the way the situation was handled and I wanted to take a moment to walk through the process and what I saw as the issues. It's much more about the way the situation was handled and the commission's willingness to take statements as fact than any sort of feeling that Overeem is "guilty" or anything. I can't stress how much I actually want to see Lesnar vs. Overeem, but fully think that the NSAC meeting yesterday was a sham. Issue 1 - Alistair left the United States for Holland to take care of his ill mother on November 17, the same day that the commission contacted him to request a urine test be taken. Overeem's explanation - He was unaware of the request for a test at the time when he left the country. When asked when he bought the ticket, Overeem said that he purchased it on the 15th, two days prior to being notified about the test. The problem - I don't doubt that Overeem purchased his ticket on the 15th, but I find it difficult to accept that the commission simply took his word for it. If they were interested in truly establishing the timeline and follow through on all of Overeem's actions, why not add another condition to the "conditional license" requiring that he provide the commission with proof of the date of airline ticket purchase? It seems simple enough, doesn't it? Much more after the jump... Issue 2 - Overeem did not respond to the commission request (again, sent on the 17th) until a follow-up made on the 21st. The initial request said that they expected to be contacted back within two days. Overeem's explanation - He was unaware of the request as his assistant handles those matters and had not contacted him to inform him that he needed to set up a test. He said that the combination of this being his first UFC fight, his mother being ill and testing being different in Holland contributed to the issues. His assistant was also on the call and said that he was "not familiar with athletic commission stuff." The problem - The first problem for me with the NSAC here is that they said that they felt Overeem "clearly established" that he didn't receive the request for the test in time. Again, it's not about trusting or not trusting Overeem, it's the idea that the commission took his statement as a clear establishment of anything. Second, the reason that the NSAC takes fighter contact info is to be able to contact them for a variety of things, including out of competition testing requirements. For the commission to not so much as say that Overeem and his camp are responsible for monitoring of communications and expeditious responses seems like a massive failure on their part. Yes, Overeem was dealing with a very tough situation with an ill mother, but this is still a required part of the job. They were harder on Keith Jardine during his request for a license when talking about his suspension in Texas for shoving a commission official that he thought was a fan trying to grab his shirt. At least they made Jardine say that he understood that Nevada does not condone shoving of a state official. With Overeem ailing to contact them for almost a week, they simply shrugged. Issue 3 - Overeem took a test on the 23rd, but took a blood test at his private doctor rather than a supervised urine test at a testing facility. Overeem's explanation - Blood tests are what they do in Holland, and you run everything through your private doctor. He simply did what he thought was accurate. The problem - First, let's get this out of the way...one of the most popular things in the aftermath has been that Overeem passed a blood test and blood is better than urine. But, the point of testing in a supervised environment is that you have an authorized individual watching the test from start to finish. I'm not saying this was the case with Overeem, but we have no proof that the blood test was taken by Overeem and that is as much of a reason as any that the commission couldn't accept that test as proof of anything. Now, the communication from Nevada said to contact them and they would tell the fighter where to go to take the test. This is what Lesnar did, as he said he couldn't get to the testing facility but would go to a hospital to take a supervised urine test, which the commission agreed to. When Overeem just decided to go to his doctor, he wasn't following the guidelines that Nevada had set up, which resulted in going to the wrong place and taking the wrong test. Again, this was blamed on the assistant. Issue 4 - Once Overeem was informed that they needed a supervised urine test, not blood, he once again went back to his personal doctor on December 7. Overeem's Explanation - Again, in Holland you go to your personal doctor and his assistant didn't explain a need to do anything different. The problem - Once again, this resulted in a test that the state wasn't able to accept. Again, supervision to make sure there is no "funny business" is key here. This ends with the NSAC giving Overeem 72 hours to take a new urine test in a location of their choosing, meaning that he could take the test as late as December 15 after it was requested on November 17. Now, earlier in the call, before discussing Overeem, the commission had their experts talking about out of competition testing and how important it was for the test to be taken within 48 hours of notification to catch anything in the urine. With this situation it could be upwards of 28 days, or 672 hours, between the request and an actual acceptable sample. Again, this isn't about if Overeem is clean or not. This is about the commission holding fighters accountable for following through on the demands of getting licensed in the state. They discussed fighters in less developed countries than Overeem who have had maybe a 24 hour delay in getting a test done, but instead of seeing this as an issue, they just gave him the go-ahead. I don't want to see the fight get cancelled. Lord knows I've been called an Overeem shill for how I fawn over him before his fights. And from a professional standpoint, Overeem vs. Lesnar is going to be good for Bloody Elbow business, much better than his getting denied for a license, so don't accuse me of "wanting scandal." This is about the state needing to either be serious about out of competition testing and holding fighters accountable for their own professionalism. Overeem is not some undercard fighter who doesn't have the means to be on top of all things at once. He's a main event fighter, a man who has held championships and fought in the United States multiple times. Maybe he hasn't dealt with Nevada before, but it's a matter of professional responsibility here. Overeem wasn't rushing out of the country to get to his mother, he supposedly had a ticket for two days prior to leaving. He wasn't without access once he did leave. Once it was clear that his assistant didn't give him the right information when he took the wrong test the first time, how is it not his responsibility to make sure that he has everything correct for the second test? Nevada showed no true willingness to hold him accountable for his actions beyond some pointless extra testing. It's the commission I'm disappointed in here. But then again, Nevada's commission has never been as good as it's reputation. It's always been a commission with a reputation boosted by simply being in the state where Vegas is. And now they've set an example that out of competition testing is as much for show as it is something they're looking to truly enforce.

Posted in: overeem, issue, test, commission, testing

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Despite the rumors, Alistair Overeem remains Brock Lesnar‘s opponent for UFC 141 at the end of the month. After a hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Overeem was granted a conditional fight license for his main event bout. First Overeem must submit a drug test from Europe within the next 72 hours and then another drug test when he arrives in the US for his fight. Following the bout, he’ll have to pass two more drug tests, both of which will take place within six months of the fight. His status for the fight was in doubt after he failed to comply with the state commissions out-of-competition testing that was ordered on November 17. Overeem and Lesnar were asked to submit tests on that date. Lesnar did so on November 21 while Overeem waited until November 23. Unfortunately for the Holland native, his test did not meet the commissions standards. Overeem submitted a second test to his personal “sports doctor” but the results have not been collected and the commission wondered if any test was actually taken. Currently in Holland to take care of his sick mother, Overeem met with the commission today via phone and was sworn under oath during the proceedings. “When I got the request to test myself, I took the test straight away. I went to the doctor, and he had me steroid tested. I went in for the results, which took 10 days. When I finally got the results, I submitted them, and I thought that that should be sufficient for the commission. But after a couple of days, I received notice that it was not sufficient, and I needed to do more testing. So I went back to the doctor straight away and I had my second test done with the full parameters that was provided by the NSAC, and that was taken last Wednesday, Dec. 7. The results of the test are due seven to 10 days from Dec. 7, so I’m expecting them this week.” Overeem blamed the differences between testing in the US and Holland for the delay, saying, “In Holland, you go to the doctor to request a test, and then you get permission to go to a facility, or the doctor can take your specimen for you. Because that was not a full panel test, which I learned (later) because it was the first time I ever went through this procedure, we had to look for other options. Because this is the first time I’ve done this; I’ve never done a full panel steroid test in Holland, and the doctors here also did not know where we could do that. So my doctor made some calls and researched the subject. We found that we could do the testing in Germany in a laboratory, and there also it seems there were some complications. In Europe, a drug testing cannot be done by an athlete himself. It has to be requested by an organization. So for me, it’s pretty hard to test myself here, and I’ve learned by going through this procedure because I’ve never gone through this procedure before.” However, the commission put the blame on Overeem’s assistant, Collin Lam, who has no prior experience in assisting professional athletes. The commission believed that Lam did not show a sense of urgency in relaying the information to his client. Lesnar’s test results came back clean and he has been cleared for action on December 30. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE/UFC

Posted in: overeem, test, doctor, commission, testing

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Early on in the Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting today we got an ominous sign that something may be up with Alistair Overeem's licensing status. During a discussion about the success of out-of-competition drug testing, following up on a July 2010 meeting, They mentioned that the two most recent men asked to take a test were Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem. Lesnar, they said, went to a hospital and took his test. Then they said that they would "discuss him later." Overeem was eventually sworn in to answer questions. He was notified on November 17 that he would need to take a random out of competition test, the commission did not hear back from Overeem's camp for five days. Then Overeem took a blood test on the 23rd but the test they were looking for was urine. He didn't actually take a urine test until December 7th, but that test was administered by his own private doctor, not by a testing facility which the commission did not care for. Overeem said that he felt he did things in a quick manner. The commission grilled him over his timeline, asking why he didn't notify the UFC that he was leaving the country and why he didn't get the test done more quickly. Overeem continued to pin the issues on his assistants, saying he was getting tested within a day each time his assistants told him he needed to and that his assistants are the ones who talk to the UFC. His assistant said that he works another full time job and isn't familiar with the Athletic Commission procedures and simply did the best that he could. One of the biggest moments on the call was when Overeem said that he purchased the plane ticket to fly to see his mother on the 15th, two days prior to the request for testing. That made it appear that he did not jump the next flight to avoid the test. In the end, the commission felt that his descriptions of the situations he dealt with were satisfactory for a license with some exceptions: The test done by his doctor on the 7th of December is not sufficient. He will need to retest within 72 hours somewhere in the UK or elsewhere at a location of NSAC's choosing. Overeem must drop another urine sample when he lands in the United States. Overeem will be tested randomly twice over six months following the UFC 141 card. So again, after much deliberation and a fishy timeline, it appears that the fight with Brock Lesnar will go on.

Posted in: overeem, brock lesnar, test, commission, assistant

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After a somewhat contentious meeting with the Nevada State Athletic Commission Alistair Overeem has been granted a conditional license to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 on December 30. The hearing started with the commission detailing the timeline of the out of competition drug test that both Overeem and Lesnar were contacted to take on November 17. NSAC executive Keith Kizer said that he did not hear from Overeem’s camp until November 21, four days after Overeem returned to Holland, to care for his

Posted in: overeem, lesnar, nevada state, commission, brock

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Filed under: UFCShortly after Danny Castillo's UFC 139 win, rumors began that he might face a suspension at the hands of the California state athletic commission stemming from his post-fight celebration. Castillo even mentioned it on his Twitter account, writing that he had received a certified letter requesting his appearance at a hearing regarding the issue. As it turns out, there is no issue at all. California state athletic commission executive officer George Dodd told MMA Fighting that Castillo was never invited to a meeting, and that he faces no review. "There's no letter and there's no hearing," Dodd said. The 12-4 lightweight returned to the win column with a first-round TKO over Shamar Bailey at the event. Afterward, he celebrated with a muted dance but UFC cameras cut away moments later. Allegedly, however, what he had done off camera was enough to warrant a possible penalty at the hands of the state commission. Castillo did not respond to a request for comment, but Dodd said he had spoken with Castillo and informed him he was never under any review and had acted within commission rules. Dodd said it was his understanding that Castillo's teammates had played a prank on him. Castillo has since deleted the tweet from his timeline. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: shamar bailey, commission, california state, castillo, dodd

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Victor Conte, the Godfather of BALCO, says it's time for state athletic commissions to step up their drug testing game with simple, new metrics for analysis of both urine & blood testing samples.

Posted in: time, victor, commission, testing, conte

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Every fighter tested at UFC 137 provided a clean sample.The Nevada State Athletic Commission emailed Fighters Only with a list of names and their test...

Posted in: ufc, fighter, test, list, commission

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The Nevada State Athletic Commission Thursday confirmed the live viewership figures for UFC 137, announcing that the Oct. 29 event was attended by 10,313 spectators for a live gate of $3,900,650.

Posted in: nevada state, commission, nevada, commission thursday, viewership figures

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Andreas Kraniotakes will fight in next month's ProElite 2 headliner against Tim Sylvia, after all. Hours after MMAjunkie.com passed along news that the Illinois State Professional Athletic Commission denied the heavyweight's participation because of a lack of sanctioned fights, the decision has been reversed. HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon first tweeted the news, though MMAjunkie.com currently awaits confirmation from commission officials.

Posted in: commission, tim sylvia, illinois commission, heavyweights participation, illinois state

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Pro Elite breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday as the Illinois Commission has decided to approve Andreas Kraniotakes and he now faces Tim Sylvia on Nov 5.

Posted in: tim, commission, tim sylvia, andreas kraniotakes, illinois commission

Read the full article at MMA Weekly

Photo via Sherdog.com The "Windy City" sure is cold this time of the year It appears the Illinois State Professional Athletic Commission (ISPAC) has put a stop to a potential bout between former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (29-7) and relative unknown Andreas Kraniotakes (12-4) for ProElite 2. The second installment of the revived "Big Guns" card is scheduled to take place on Nov. 5, 2011, at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill. The entire main card is scheduled to air live on HDNet and also features former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski vs. journeymen Travis Fulton. The ISPAC contends the German didn't have enough 'sanctioned' fights on his professional record. MMA Fighting has more: According to sources close to the event, the reason behind the state commission's refusal to approve Kraniotakes stems from a lack of sanctioned fights on his record. Though the German heavyweight is 12-4, the bulk of his 16 career fights have come in Europe, leaving him without any sanctioned fights in the United States for the commission to base its decision on. "Eventually, the commission wouldn't give me a license for some reasons no one understands," Kraniotakes said. "I think the people making those decisions probably don't know anything about the sport. I did everything I could do, my management did everything it could do, ProElite did everything it could do to make the fight happen. But the commission just said no." ProElite officials have revealed that a replacement fighter is on tap, but awaiting commission approval. An announcement for "The Maine-iac" is expected later today. Stay tuned.

Posted in: fight, proelite, commission, record mma, replacement fighter

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Filed under: News, ProEliteIt's nothing short of a soap opera script. Less than 24 hours after main event heavyweight Andreas Kraniotakes was denied a license to fight Tim Slyvia in the ProElite 2 main event on Nov. 5, Sylvia has his new opponent. After his fight with Pedro Rizzo was scrapped due to an injury, and Kraniotakes wasn't approved by the Illinois State Professional Athletic Commission just Wednesday, Sylvia's new opponent will be ... Andreas Kraniotakes. In a somewhat surprising reversal, the Illinois commission, according to sources close to ProElite, took another look at the fight and decided to grant Kraniotakes a license after all. In a story first reported by MMA Fighting, the commission had initially denied Kraniotakes a license because of a lack of sanctioned fights on his 12-4 record, many of which have taken place in his native Germany, which has only a short history with legalized mixed martial arts. Sources told MMA Fighting that ProElite had indeed lined up a replacement fighter for Slyvia on Wednesday and anticipated that new opponent being approved by the Illinois commission on Thursday for a fight on just nine days notice. Now that won't be necessary, and Sylvia-Kraniotakes is back on. In addition, HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon took to his Twitter feed on Thursday to say the fight would indeed remain as the main event of the show, which will take place at the iWireless Center in Moline, Ill., on Nov. 5. The main card will air live on HDNet. MMA Fighting first reported last month that the card moved from Atlantic City to the Quad Cities area in western Illinois and would feature a main event between Sylvia and Rizzo with a co-main event of Andrei Arlovski vs. Travis Fulton. But less than two weeks ago, Rizzo pulled out of the fight with an injury and Kraniotakes, who has cracked the Top 100 heavyweights in the world in some rankings, was tapped as the replacement. Early Thursday, Kraniotakes, who has been training for the Sylvia fight in San Diego, took to his official website to voice his disappointment in being pulled from the card. "Eventually, the commission wouldn't give me a license for some reasons no one understands," Kraniotakes said. "I think the people making those decisions probably don't know anything about the sport. I did everything I could do, my management did everything it could do, ProElite did everything it could do to make the fight happen. But the commission just said no." Perhaps everything that could be done eventually was enough, even if it is a day later. A message asking for comment left for the Illinois commission's director of athletics, Ron Puccillo, was not immediately returned on Thursday. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: fight, event, commission, illinoi, kraniotake

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The same day Andreas Kraniotakes took to MMAjunkie.com Radio and discussed his long-awaited big-show opportunity at next month's ProElite 2 event, the heavyweight was scratched from the event. On Wednesday, Kraniotakes posted a video message saying he was forced out of his headliner with ex-UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia. According to a report from MMAFighting.com, an unidentified replacement fighter has been selected and awaits commission approval. MMAjunkie.com could not immediately reach commission or ProElite officials for comment.

Posted in: proelite, event, commission, kraniotake, wednesday kraniotakes

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Arizona has learned its lesson: What works for football, basketball, soccer and the like does not work for MMA. Following this past weekend's "M-1 Challenge 27: Magalhaes vs. Zayats" event, the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission has decided against using a whistle to mark the 10-second warning that accompanies the end of a round. Commission assistant Matthew Valenzuela informed MMAjunkie.com of the decision.

Posted in: event, commission, changes arizona, arizona, warning

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Ringside judges at MFC 31 on Friday will score fights using a half-point system, a first in the Maximum Fighting Championship. The Edmonton Combative Sports Commission announced the news in a press release

Posted in: judge, press, mfc, commission, sports commission

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UFC 135 drew an official gate of $2,089,075 and attendance was 16,344 according to the Colorado Athletic Commission. The commission also stated that salaries will not be released.

Posted in: ufc, colorado, official, commission, official gate

Read the full article at Bloody Elbow

Filed under: UFC, NewsThis past Saturday's UFC 135 event from the Pepsi Center in Denver drew a total crowd of 16,344 for a final gate of $2,089,575, the Colorado athletic commission revealed Tuesday. Of the 16,344 in attendance, 14,247 paid for tickets and 2,097 were comped. More UFC 135 notes from the commission are below. -- When it comes to fighter salaries, the commission says it only verifies that fighters are paid by promoters and fighter salaries are not disclosed. -- Tony Ferguson was awarded the victory over Aaron Riley after it became apparent Riley had suffered an injury to his jaw. Riley has since been issued a 180-day suspension which can be reduced to 90 days with medical clearance. --Despite a dominant win in the main event, Jon Jones was handed a 180-day suspension or 45 days with medical clearance. Meanwhile, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was suspended for 60 days with no contact for 45 days. -- The only other fighter recommended for a further check-up was Jame Te Huna, whom the commission suspended 180 days or minimum 30 days with medical clearance. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Posted in: ufc, fighter, day, commission, fighter salaries

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