Drug testing has been part of combat sports for many years, but the UFC took a much bigger and broader step to cut down on performance-enhancing drug use by athletes after introducing the company’s anti-doping program in 2015.
While there were still plenty of failed drugs at the start, the potential penalties were so severe the use of illegal substances dramatically changed forever. That may have made MMA a much cleaner sport overall, but veteran UFC color commentator Joe Rogan admits he still misses the good old days when fighters were able to use performance-enhancing drugs.
During a recent episode of his podcast featuring multi-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers as his guest, Rogan addressed how much the sport changed after USADA was introduced and fighters had to start toeing the line.
“USADA—when UFC brought in USADA, all of that changed and people’s physiques melted,” Rogan said. “They changed dramatically. Alistair Overeem’s the greatest example. Alistair when he fought Brock Lesnar got drug tested, and he was saucy as f*ck.
“When he’s flexing on stage, that’s when he’s ‘Ubereem’—260 [pounds], solid as f*ck, ripped and just one of the more elite strikers on planet Earth and Brock was f*cked.”
Overeem scored his knockout over Lesnar back at UFC 141 in 2011—a few years prior to the UFC partnering with USADA on a more extensive drug testing plan.
That said, Overeem actually did test positive for elevated levels of testosterone ahead of a scheduled heavyweight title fight against Junior dos Santos in 2012. The Nevada Athletic Commission—the governing body that administered the drug test—refused to grant him a license for the next nine months, which effectively suspended him from the sport.
When Overeem returned, he struggled to find the same success as he did in the fight against Lesnar and lost his next two bouts. Overeem eventually worked his way back to a title shot, but suffered a first-round knockout loss to Stipe Miocic when they met in 2016.
Rogan wishes he could have seen Overeem continue to move forward in his UFC career without the detrimental drug testing.
“They make him take the drug test, and he becomes a normal person with good fighting skills,” Rogan said. “I mean he wasn’t the Ubereem anymore. This destroyer.
“I would have loved to see what an Alistair Overeem run on the sauce would have been. My god. It would have been epic. It would have been really wild to see.”
Following the end of the partnership with USADA, the UFC moved forward with a new anti-doping program headed up by ex-FBI agent George Piro with testing done independently by Combat Sports Anti-Doping.
Fighters are still routinely and randomly drug tested throughout the year, and CSAD now hands down the punishments for any use of performance-enhancing substances. That said, Rogan actually wishes drug testing didn’t exist, especially where the heavyweight division is concerned.
“Oh yeah, I want fun,” Rogan said with a laugh about allowing fighters to use banned substances. “I don’t want to see fat heavyweights. Get the f*ck out of here. I want Alistair back. Get them back on the sauce.”
