The UFC has come in for harsh criticism in recent weeks due to a number of high profile fighters failing drug tests for having banned substances in their system, and after Anderson Silva and Hector Lombard became the latest UFC stars to add their name to the growing list of PED users, the organisation felt it necessary to take action.
UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta was joined by UFC president Dana White at a specially arranged press conference where they made a number of different announcements, such as a ridiculously exciting co-main event for Conor McGregor's clash with Jose Aldo in July, but the main talking point was without a doubt the announcement that the organisation is putting a new drug testing regime in place.
Taking effect in July 2015, the UFC plans to introduce random out-of-competition performance enhancing drug testing, which is expected to cover all of the 500+ fighters currently under contract.
Also noteworthy was White and Fertitta's insistence that the UFC will be lobbying for harsher punishments for any fighter caught using PEDs, and even suggesting to extend the current nine month ban to either two or four years.
Most will agree that the UFC drug testing measures needed to be changed, so the powers that be are clearly trying to send out a strong message and remove the assosciation with PEDs that the UFC was beginning to find attached to itself.
via Bloodyelbow.com
