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Marlon Vera isn’t convinced that USADA’s testing methods are effectively preventing everyone on the UFC roster from using performance-enhancing drugs.
The 30-year-old is currently the UFC’s #4-ranked bantamweight contender thanks to his current four-fight winning streak. “Chito” previously put together a five-fight win streak where he finished all of his opponents in 2018/2019, but Vera’s recent run includes finishes over former champions Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz.
Bantamweight is one of the UFC’s most talent-stacked divisions, but its most recent title fight ended anticlimactically when T.J. Dillashaw returned from a two-year USADA suspension to challenge Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280. Dillashaw had sustained a shoulder injury in training camp that immediately reared its head during the fight, and the 36-year-old ended up retiring in the aftermath of the bout.
Vera was asked by Michael Bisping on the former champion’s podcast Believe You Me if Dillashaw’s retirement might be an attempt to remove himself from the USADA testing pool while his shoulder heals. “Chito” didn’t speculate too much on Dillashaw’s intentions, but he did take the opportunity to shares his thoughts on USADA’s effectiveness.
Dillashaw’s return from a USADA suspension ended with a second-round TKO loss. (Zuffa LLC)
“Fucking hell. If he comes back, it would be weird right?” Vera answered. “Just because he’s tested positive already, and he says he’s retired for good. It’s crazy, the moment you’re retired you’re out of the pool. I’m like, at least test the guy for a year. I don’t know. Or anybody, right? But who knows. I really believe, even if USADA randomly tests you, they can only test you from six to six. So if you have money, and a decent doctor, I believe people are still cheating until this day. I really believe that. I heard there’s drugs you can take, and literally overnight kind of like disappear.”
“I’d Probably Rather Die Than Cheat”
Even if he’s not sure about how comprehensively USADA are testing other fighters, Vera has no concerns about how often he’s being tested.
“You can go for vacation, you can go for like – USADA is effective, but I’m like are USADA testing people in the fucking third world country? Or deep down in fucking I don’t know, Russia? I don’t know. I live in fucking California, they come to my house all the time. But, I’d probably rather die than cheat. That’s just me, right?”
The UFC’s bantamweight division is in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment, especially with rumors of Henry Cejudo‘s potential return. Sean O’Malley is currently ranked as the #1-contender following his controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, while #3-ranked Merab Dvalishvili is currently on an eight-fight win streak but is a friend and training partner of Sterling.
#5-ranked Cory Sandhagen already fought Yan for the promotion’s interim belt at UFC 267 before defeating Song Yadong in his only fight off 2022. The 30-year-old will be looking to get back into the title picture when he fights Vera in February, but “Chito” will no doubt be hoping for a fifth-straight win to earn his first UFC title shot.
What’s your reaction to Vera’s comments regarding how effective USADA testing is?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Marlon Vera isn’t convinced that USADA’s testing methods are effectively preventing everyone on the UFC roster from using performance-enhancing drugs.
The 30-year-old is currently the UFC’s #4-ranked bantamweight contender thanks to his current four-fight winning streak. “Chito” previously put together a five-fight win streak where he finished all of his opponents in 2018/2019, but Vera’s recent run includes finishes over former champions Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz.
Bantamweight is one of the UFC’s most talent-stacked divisions, but its most recent title fight ended anticlimactically when T.J. Dillashaw returned from a two-year USADA suspension to challenge Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280. Dillashaw had sustained a shoulder injury in training camp that immediately reared its head during the fight, and the 36-year-old ended up retiring in the aftermath of the bout.
Vera was asked by Michael Bisping on the former champion’s podcast Believe You Me if Dillashaw’s retirement might be an attempt to remove himself from the USADA testing pool while his shoulder heals. “Chito” didn’t speculate too much on Dillashaw’s intentions, but he did take the opportunity to shares his thoughts on USADA’s effectiveness.
Dillashaw’s return from a USADA suspension ended with a second-round TKO loss. (Zuffa LLC)
“Fucking hell. If he comes back, it would be weird right?” Vera answered. “Just because he’s tested positive already, and he says he’s retired for good. It’s crazy, the moment you’re retired you’re out of the pool. I’m like, at least test the guy for a year. I don’t know. Or anybody, right? But who knows. I really believe, even if USADA randomly tests you, they can only test you from six to six. So if you have money, and a decent doctor, I believe people are still cheating until this day. I really believe that. I heard there’s drugs you can take, and literally overnight kind of like disappear.”
“I’d Probably Rather Die Than Cheat”
Even if he’s not sure about how comprehensively USADA are testing other fighters, Vera has no concerns about how often he’s being tested.
“You can go for vacation, you can go for like – USADA is effective, but I’m like are USADA testing people in the fucking third world country? Or deep down in fucking I don’t know, Russia? I don’t know. I live in fucking California, they come to my house all the time. But, I’d probably rather die than cheat. That’s just me, right?”
The UFC’s bantamweight division is in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment, especially with rumors of Henry Cejudo‘s potential return. Sean O’Malley is currently ranked as the #1-contender following his controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, while #3-ranked Merab Dvalishvili is currently on an eight-fight win streak but is a friend and training partner of Sterling.
#5-ranked Cory Sandhagen already fought Yan for the promotion’s interim belt at UFC 267 before defeating Song Yadong in his only fight off 2022. The 30-year-old will be looking to get back into the title picture when he fights Vera in February, but “Chito” will no doubt be hoping for a fifth-straight win to earn his first UFC title shot.
What’s your reaction to Vera’s comments regarding how effective USADA testing is?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
The 30-year-old is currently the UFC’s #4-ranked bantamweight contender thanks to his current four-fight winning streak. “Chito” previously put together a five-fight win streak where he finished all of his opponents in 2018/2019, but Vera’s recent run includes finishes over former champions Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz.
Bantamweight is one of the UFC’s most talent-stacked divisions, but its most recent title fight ended anticlimactically when T.J. Dillashaw returned from a two-year USADA suspension to challenge Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280. Dillashaw had sustained a shoulder injury in training camp that immediately reared its head during the fight, and the 36-year-old ended up retiring in the aftermath of the bout.
Vera was asked by Michael Bisping on the former champion’s podcast Believe You Me if Dillashaw’s retirement might be an attempt to remove himself from the USADA testing pool while his shoulder heals. “Chito” didn’t speculate too much on Dillashaw’s intentions, but he did take the opportunity to shares his thoughts on USADA’s effectiveness.
Dillashaw’s return from a USADA suspension ended with a second-round TKO loss. (Zuffa LLC)
“Fucking hell. If he comes back, it would be weird right?” Vera answered. “Just because he’s tested positive already, and he says he’s retired for good. It’s crazy, the moment you’re retired you’re out of the pool. I’m like, at least test the guy for a year. I don’t know. Or anybody, right? But who knows. I really believe, even if USADA randomly tests you, they can only test you from six to six. So if you have money, and a decent doctor, I believe people are still cheating until this day. I really believe that. I heard there’s drugs you can take, and literally overnight kind of like disappear.”
“I’d Probably Rather Die Than Cheat”
Even if he’s not sure about how comprehensively USADA are testing other fighters, Vera has no concerns about how often he’s being tested.
“You can go for vacation, you can go for like – USADA is effective, but I’m like are USADA testing people in the fucking third world country? Or deep down in fucking I don’t know, Russia? I don’t know. I live in fucking California, they come to my house all the time. But, I’d probably rather die than cheat. That’s just me, right?”
The UFC’s bantamweight division is in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment, especially with rumors of Henry Cejudo‘s potential return. Sean O’Malley is currently ranked as the #1-contender following his controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, while #3-ranked Merab Dvalishvili is currently on an eight-fight win streak but is a friend and training partner of Sterling.
#5-ranked Cory Sandhagen already fought Yan for the promotion’s interim belt at UFC 267 before defeating Song Yadong in his only fight off 2022. The 30-year-old will be looking to get back into the title picture when he fights Vera in February, but “Chito” will no doubt be hoping for a fifth-straight win to earn his first UFC title shot.
What’s your reaction to Vera’s comments regarding how effective USADA testing is?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Marlon Vera isn’t convinced that USADA’s testing methods are effectively preventing everyone on the UFC roster from using performance-enhancing drugs.
The 30-year-old is currently the UFC’s #4-ranked bantamweight contender thanks to his current four-fight winning streak. “Chito” previously put together a five-fight win streak where he finished all of his opponents in 2018/2019, but Vera’s recent run includes finishes over former champions Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz.
Bantamweight is one of the UFC’s most talent-stacked divisions, but its most recent title fight ended anticlimactically when T.J. Dillashaw returned from a two-year USADA suspension to challenge Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280. Dillashaw had sustained a shoulder injury in training camp that immediately reared its head during the fight, and the 36-year-old ended up retiring in the aftermath of the bout.
Vera was asked by Michael Bisping on the former champion’s podcast Believe You Me if Dillashaw’s retirement might be an attempt to remove himself from the USADA testing pool while his shoulder heals. “Chito” didn’t speculate too much on Dillashaw’s intentions, but he did take the opportunity to shares his thoughts on USADA’s effectiveness.
“Fucking hell. If he comes back, it would be weird right?” Vera answered. “Just because he’s tested positive already, and he says he’s retired for good. It’s crazy, the moment you’re retired you’re out of the pool. I’m like, at least test the guy for a year. I don’t know. Or anybody, right? But who knows. I really believe, even if USADA randomly tests you, they can only test you from six to six. So if you have money, and a decent doctor, I believe people are still cheating until this day. I really believe that. I heard there’s drugs you can take, and literally overnight kind of like disappear.”
“I’d Probably Rather Die Than Cheat”
Even if he’s not sure about how comprehensively USADA are testing other fighters, Vera has no concerns about how often he’s being tested.
“You can go for vacation, you can go for like – USADA is effective, but I’m like are USADA testing people in the fucking third world country? Or deep down in fucking I don’t know, Russia? I don’t know. I live in fucking California, they come to my house all the time. But, I’d probably rather die than cheat. That’s just me, right?”
The UFC’s bantamweight division is in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment, especially with rumors of Henry Cejudo‘s potential return. Sean O’Malley is currently ranked as the #1-contender following his controversial win over Petr Yan at UFC 280, while #3-ranked Merab Dvalishvili is currently on an eight-fight win streak but is a friend and training partner of Sterling.
#5-ranked Cory Sandhagen already fought Yan for the promotion’s interim belt at UFC 267 before defeating Song Yadong in his only fight off 2022. The 30-year-old will be looking to get back into the title picture when he fights Vera in February, but “Chito” will no doubt be hoping for a fifth-straight win to earn his first UFC title shot.
What’s your reaction to Vera’s comments regarding how effective USADA testing is?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
