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New UFC & Strikeforce Fighters
Will Undergo Pre-Contract Drug Screening As Part Of Zuffa’s New
Policy
 Zuffa,
the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and
Strikeforce, has opted to implement mandatory drug screening for
performance-enhancing drugs for all new fighters joining either
promotions.
All new fighters signed on, or after January 1st, 2012 will be
subject to pre-contract testing.
Here is the full Press Release posted by the promotion on Tuesday.
Press Release – January 17, 2012: Las Vegas, Nevada – Continuing a
commitment to the health and safety of its athletes, the Ultimate
Fighting Championship® announced today that all potential UFC® and
STRIKEFORCE® signees will be subject to a mandatory pre-contract
screening for performance-enhancing drugs. Beginning Jan. 1, 2012,
all incoming athletes will be tested prior to finalizing a contract
with the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization.
UFC and STRIKEFORCE already work closely with the most prestigious
regulators and athletic commissions to ensure the health and safety
of athletes prior to competition. This includes contestants on The
Ultimate Fighter®, all of whom are pre-screened for
performance-enhancing drugs prior to participating on the
longest-running sports reality show on television.
All current UFC and STRIKEFORCE athletes will continue to be
screened for performance-enhancing drugs, both prior to competition
and at random, in accordance with athletic commission rules and
regulations.
“We’re committed to the health and safety of our athletes and we
take it very seriously,” UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said.
“We already work closely with athletic commissions to protect our
athletes and now we’re taking it one step further. We’re going to
test any potential UFC or STRIKEFORCE fighter before finalizing
their contract. This shows that we don’t want performance-enhancing
drugs in our sport.”
This pre-contract screening policy further cements the
organization’s dedication to the well-being of its athletes. In May,
the organization announced that nearly 350 UFC and STRIKEFORCE
independent contractor athletes would be eligible for customized
accident insurance coverage, an unprecedented policy that covers
accidental injuries suffered by athletes while training, as well as
non-training incidents such as automobile accidents.
“The health and safety of our athletes is our top priority,” UFC
President Dana White said. “We’ve seen the issues
performance-enhancing drugs have caused in other sports and we’re
going to do everything we can to keep them out of the UFC and
STRIKEFORCE. Our athletes are already held to the highest testing
standards in all sports by athletic commissions. Our new testing
policy for performance-enhancing drugs only further shows how
important it is to us to have our athletes competing on a level
playing field.” |
