We’re far enough away from Holly Holm’s shocking win at UFC 193 over Ronda Rousey that the initial wave of excitement is over and people are naturally turning to skepticism over the victory. People want to know exactly how Holm managed to beat Rousey and secure the biggest upset in the history of UFC. If you ask former WWE superstar Taz, the fight was rigged, namely because Rousey is taking a few months off and it’s “bad for business” to have someone with a title sitting at home for a long period of time.
Now, the conversation is moving to something a little less surprising: performance-enhancing drugs. As USA Today points out, this theory stems from the fact that a Texas-based company called Intel-Pharma is linked to Holm and congratulated her after the fight on its website and Facebook page.
“Congratulations,’’ read a message on the homepage of Intel-Pharma’s website. “We always believed!’’ On the company’s Facebook page, supplement seller JAK Nutrition saluted: “Congrats to Holly Holm and Team Intel-Pharma!!’ Check out our full line of Intel-Pharma products!!”
An athlete being tied to a supplement company isn’t too big of a deal, but Intel-Pharma sells Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, which are considered a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency. According to the WADA, “SARMs have the potential to be misused for performance enhancement in sport due to their anabolic properties as well as ability to stimulate androgen receptors in muscle and bone,” and they have been banned by the organization since 2008.
It’s important to remember that Holm hasn’t actually been accused of anything, but still, her ties to Intel-Pharma is a bad look. Former BALCO founder Victor Conte told USA Today that the potential relationship between the two “looks highly suspicious,” while SARMs were what led to Florida quarterback Will Grier getting suspended for one year.
Holm’s manager, Lenny Fresquez, told USA Today that she has never taken any illegal substances, but does concede that Holm “might have taken a picture with one.”
(via USA Today)
