Random Drug Testing In The UFC Is Here – Fertitta Discusses

By Evan Stoumbelis

One of the most popular topics among fight fans and fighters alike, random drug testing for fighters. Former welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre has made his viewpoint very clear, he wants random drug testing for fighters.

On the heels of Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira’s random drug test, Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Wagenheim spoke with Lorenzo Fertitta, who is paying for the testing, on the controversial topic.

Fertitta had the following to say:

“I think it’s going to be something that continues to happen on a pretty regular basis going forward,” said Fertitta.

“We’ve always tried to do whatever we can to embrace and encourage the commissions to test as much as they possibly can. Unfortunately for most commissions, they’re restrained from a budgetary standpoint. They just don’t have the resources to handle random testing because there’s a lot more that goes into how it’s done. In order for the program to be successful, it truly needs to be random and it needs to be pretty in-depth.”

“We have nothing to do with the testing other than they send us a bill to pay for it. That’s it. It’s all done third party, all done the right way. They get the results sent directly to them and then they deal with the situation, the fighter. It’s out of our hands.”

“We’re trying to work with various commissions now to figure out how we can put systems in place to ensure that all of these guys are tested. Tested randomly, tested out of competition, in competition, every which way they can be.”

“Sometimes these things take a little time to actually get put in place where you can effectively manage it. Sometimes the media just wants everything to happen yesterday. We’re doing it. It’s all starting to happen now.”

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