The claim that they’re doing all unsanctioned style events is a bit absurd. They’ve played mostly major venues, with NJ, California, and Nevada being together far exceeding any other combination of venues that they’ve used. Even Mohegan Sun, whom they’ve run twice, has been very strict about MMA. Ask the UFC about that. They don’t pressure fighters to fight when hurt because its team based, not fighter based, and thus they can just call a replacement with no one being the worse for wear (other than the hurt fighter’s pocketbook).

bingo. we have a winner

For all of their lipservice, promoters dont give a shit about the safety of fighters, particularly long term damage that accrues from steroid abuse

they have an interest for fighters to fight when an event is announced. how the fighters get there; injured, roided etc? You really think Dana White cares? He could give a shit once the tickets and PPVs are sold

the only thing seperating Dana from the scumbags at PRIDE is that Dana has the ACs to deal with. Japan is perfect example of a de-regulated and corrupt MMA scene is

I didn’t relaize this, but I never paid attention. Have they been on Indian reservations? They did a LA show, a LV show, and now another NJ show. So not all have been unsanctioned and still there have been no positive tests, correct? I think there may be something to this. Maybe they don’t pressure fighters to compete when hurt. I don’t know, but I feel the attitude of the management or owners may be a factor.

Plus, the way the IFL is structured, it makes it stupid for a fighter to take steroids. They fight so often that it is near impossible to cycle through the roids properly for the training of a fight.

And before you think that the IFL is now the format to get around roid use…. The IFL’s schedule is horrible for a fighter. Some guys might be fighting up to 6 or 7 times in one year. That is a lot of abuse for a fighter to take in one year. I’m not sure how much worse that is then steroids.

“What difference does it make if you test your own fighters when the results aren’t released and there are no consequences?”

MLB doesn’t release who was tested and when. How is the UFC supposed to be any different? And how do you know if their are consequences or not. Neither you or I really know anything on that matter.

And when I say that White is the only person doing anything, I mean in today’s sport. How many other promoters do you see hiring the services of a guy like Marc Ratner for the purpose to get the sport regulated in all 50 states? And with that regulation comes drug testing. All the other promoters either just care about the 1 or 2 states that they are around, or don’t try to do anything (like the IFL).

“He is actually the only person in the sport who has done something about steroids and testing. An that is getting the athletic commissions on board before they run.”

Dude…UFC 29 under SEG was sanctioned by the NJAC.

The fact stands that the UFC runs to regulation, and because of this, it is so unliely for there to ever be a major issue in the media about the UFC and steroids. The media needs the UFC to be a bunch of idiots for the story to stick more then a day. And by public standards, the UFC is doing everything they need to be.

And the point remains that not only what Gross says is completely inaccurate from top to bottom (it is), but White isn’t even on the radar in terms of this issue. He is actually the only person in the sport who has done something about steroids and testing. An that is getting the athletic commissions on board before they run. And I don’t know of another promoter who has tested their own fighters.

The UFC is light years ahead of the rest of the sport on this issue, so if anything, give White a prize, don’t point him out with complete inaccuracies just because they hate him.

If you’ve read any of the “real media’s” stories on MMA since its inception, you’d know that it’s far worse than most of the “MMA Media’s” take. At least the “MMA Media” generally knows the history of the sport and can put things in context.

Have you been reading this site the past year or two?

And yes, Dana is two faced telling fighters to avoid “fan boy” sites because they will turn on them. Like he won’t? He has and will dumped fighters for the most piddling reasons imaginable.