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From top-ranked female fighter Cristiane “The Cyborg” Santos to Alistair Overeem, we’ve seen a rash of MMA fighters banned for steroids and testosterone. This being the case, it’s no wonder why much of the MMA community is up-in-arms about one fighter who’s juicing freely – and getting away with it!

In any sport where size, strength and muscle mass play a huge role in success, athletes are going to push the limits to achieve optimal results – even if it means breaking the rules. Recent times have shown us that mixed martial arts is no different than any other sport in this regard because several prominent fighters have been busted for juicing. So it’s no surprise that MMA headlines have been rife with stories of suspensions and scandals.

On the other hand, it’s also quite odd to hear that one fighter has been legally juicing without recourse. Keeping this thought in mind, it’s definitely worth looking into this and all of the other recent steroid stories in MMA.

A Cyborg on Steroids

While mixed martial arts has seen its steady share of fighters busted for roids, there’s been a flurry of activity over the past several months. It all kicked off at the beginning of 2012 when top-ranked female fighter Cristiane “The Cyborg” Santos tested positive for Stanozolol. She was fresh off of a 16-second, first round knockout of Hiroko Yamanaka and riding high. However, the steroid bust cost her the Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Championship and a victory over Yamanaka; it also earned Santos a lengthy suspension.

Roids Strike Strikeforce Again

Less than two weeks after Santos’ suspension, another huge steroid scandal rocked Strikeforce when their former Light Heavyweight champion, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, tested positive for drostanolone. The punishment was very harsh on Lawal after the Nevada State Athletic Commission handed down a one-year suspension, and turned his win over unbeaten Lorenz Larkin into a no-contest. Since this time, King Mo has met with the NSAC and gotten his suspension reduced to nine months.

Testosterone Fueled

Having been the only man to hold both an MMA and K-1 kickboxing title at the same time, Alistair Overeem obviously knows a thing or two about fighting. And his legend was only furthered after sending former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar off into retirement with a barrage of vicious kicks and punches. But his skills may have received a slight boost after it was determined that Overeem’s testosterone levels (10-to-1) far exceeded the 6-to-1 levels that are deemed acceptable by the NSAC. The findings occurred just before a UFC Heavyweight title fight with Junior dos Santos, so it’s unlikely that the Dutch fighter will have any victories taken away. But he is assuredly facing some kind of lengthy suspension.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – Juicing and getting away with it

Up to this point, everybody who we’ve discussed has been punished after being caught juicing. So how is it that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (left) used testosterone and has avoided any sanctions? Furthermore, how is Jackson touting the benefits of performance-enhancing drugs, and still dodging a suspension? Is it because the NSAC loved his portrayal of Mr. T in the “A-Team” movie?

Not quite….instead, Jackson began undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) as a way to rehab his injured knee. Rampage needed to be ready by the time he fought Ryan Bader in UFC 144, and doctors also said that the 33-year-old had low testosterone levels. He described the ordeal by saying, “I almost pulled out, but then I went to see the doctor, and he told me to talk to an age-management doctor. So I went and talked to them, and they tested me and said my testosterone was low; they prescribed me testosterone, to bring my testosterone levels back up to levels where I can be like – so that I am the same as young people, like when I was 25, and it would help build my knee up.”

In addition to helping Jackson heal his injured knee, the testosterone injections also had a positive effect on his muscle gains. The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion spoke about this by stating, “I hurt my knee like a month ago, and I only did three shots of testosterone but it put a lot of weight on me, a lot of muscle on me, but it healed my knee up good enough to where I could fight.”

Unfortunately for Jackson, he ended up losing to the younger Bader via a unanimous decision. However, this still raises a pertinent issue of whether it should be okay for fighters to use testosterone for injuries – event if it helps them pack on size and muscle in the process. Going further, it’s worth pondering whether mixed martial arts governing bodies would ever consider okaying testosterone and steroids altogether.

Will Steroids and Testosterone ever be allowed in MMA?

On one side of the fence, we’ve seen fighters who were hit with lengthy suspensions after they tested positive for steroids. But with Jackson, we covered somebody who could legally use testosterone – both inside and outside of the ring – to enhance his strength. So this brings up the important question of where the line stands for MMA competitors when it comes to performance enhancing drugs.

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Assuming a fighter’s testosterone levels have plummeted, UFC President Dana White doesn’t see a major problem with TRT as he said, “Testosterone Replacement Therapy is something that you can do, it’s for guys whose testosterone is too low. Here’s what you’re supposed to do…you’re supposed to get it back to the levels of a normal guy your age, and if you’re even that much over (normal levels), now it becomes illegal.”

Former UFC Light Heavyweight title holder Tito Ortiz sees things from a different perspective since he thinks a fighter should quit MMA if they can’t go without testosterone therapy. He stated, “I have been fighting for 15 years and there have been trainers that tried to push that on me, and I’ve said that if I have to do that kind of stuff, I am done with the sport.”

As for my personal opinion, I’d be more than happy to see steroids and testosterone allowed in mixed martial arts. After all, if somebody with low testosterone levels can eventually gain an edge over other fighters after several injections, aren’t natural athletes the ones who are suddenly facing a disadvantage? So rather than blur the line between who can and can’t use PEDs, why not just enable everybody to juice? Furthermore, MMA is about entertainment, and showcasing the biggest, most-muscular athletes who’ve reached the peak of their ability through PEDs could create a better TV product.

Of course, the counter argument to this is that – by making steroids legal in MMA – it essentially makes them mandatory to stay competitive. Assuming 95% of professionals are using roids to improve their performance, the other 5% who want to stay natural are going to get crushed. Keeping this last thought in mind, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see the NSAC, UFC and Strikeforce give fighters the freedom to juice.

Be sure to check out the Martial Arts forum on Elite Fitness. And be sure to check out the following discussion on the Elite Fitness forums.

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