The worlds of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts reacted with excitement when it was announced that Brock Lesnar would make his UFC return at UFC 200 in July. But with his sudden unretirement came controversy: the UFC had to bend some rules regarding their new USADA-run drug testing program to allow Brock to return.
Typically, fighters returning to action after officially retiring need to spend four months under the USADA testing regiment, which means they can be randomly tested at any time. But in Brock’s case, the UFC waived the four-month period typically required to get back in the mix due to the unique nature of his last-minute signing. That had a lot of people wondering if maybe there wasn’t something suspicious going on – whether Brock’s quick entry into the UFC wasn’t a mask to avoid rigorous drug testing.
But although they weren’t able to test him until he officially signed with the UFC, USADA is doing a heck of a job testing him now. They barely waited a week before doing their first drug test on the WWE superstar, and now MMA Fighting reports that they have tested Brock Lesnar five times in two weeks. Yep, you read that right: five times in fourteen days. And UFC vice president of health and performance Jeff Novitzky said there will be more to come.
While USADA testing is done randomly to increase the chances of catching fighters cheating, it’s not random as to who gets tested. If the people at USADA have suspicions or have heard rumors of doping, they’re able to target specific athletes for more frequent testing. Given several athletes (including Brock’s UF 200 opponent Mark Hunt) have complained about him getting around the four-month UFC requirement, the USADA is probably testing him extra carefully to make sure everything is on the level.
