The UFC will cut ties with the United States Anti-Doping Agency at the start of 2024, but the promotion’s anti-doping program and drug-testing policy isn’t going anywhere.
In a Thursday press conference, UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky revealed that the UFC is partnering with Drug Free Sport International beginning in 2024 to handle sample collection for all athletes competing on the roster. Novitzky promised the updated program will make vast improvements over USADA and help to better serve the athletes. He praised the work that has already been done under the current UFC anti-doping policy, but said he expects the new program to run even better after the current contract with USADA ends in December.
“[Drug Free Sport International] currently handle collection duties for the following professional sports leagues — they have 325 long-term tenured sports clients including the NFL, the NCAA, Major League Baseball, NBA, WNBA, NASCAR, horse racing integrity and welfare unit, PGA, LPGA, FIFA, Crossfit. They actually help out with some drug-testing with various National Anti-Doping Authorities throughout the world and various sports federations,” Novitzky said. “They virtually collect samples for everybody.”
In addition to Drug Free Sport International joining the UFC’s anti-doping program, Novitzky also added that Dr. Daniel Eichner will become the new science advisor overseeing testing and results.
“Dr. Dan Eichner runs the Sports Medicine Testing and Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, UT, also known as SMRTL, one of two United States [World Anti-Doping Agency] accredited anti-doping laboratories, the highest accreditation standard in anti-doping in the world,” Novitzky stated.
“He will be our science advisor. He’s going to direct the program on test distribution, smarter testing planning, more efficient testing planning. He will evaluate the testing results in the program and make recommendations to our independent administrator.”
According to Novitzky, Dr. Eichner already informed the UFC about several changes that he will recommend implementing, which includes more “special analysis testing” that will specifically target erythropoietin — better known as EPO — that he called “one of the most dangerous drugs in our sport.”
“When we launch this program Jan. 1, we will conduct EPO special analysis at the highest rate of any sport federation in the world,” Novitzky said. “We will have innovative blood collection devices and move away from phlebotomy for all drug testing.”
In addition to special analysis testing, Novitzky also rattled off a number of other changes and improvements that the UFC expects to implement under the new anti-doping program
— Increase the amount of blood testing
— Conduct studies on the use of stimulants out of competition
— Conduct dry blood spot testing, consistent with NBA, NFL and MLB
— Conduct oral fluid testing
— Conduct growth hormone releasing factors testing on every single sample
— Biological passport program
— Increase the amount of isotope ratio mass spectrometry testing, the most comprehensive and precise way to deter testosterone abuse.
— More robust long-term storage program
As far as the person overseeing the program, Novitzky revealed that George Piro — a recently retired special-agent-in-charge from the FBI — will now serve as the independent administrator. Piro is perhaps best known for being the lead interrogator questioning Saddam Hussein after his capture by American forces in Iraq in 2004.
“When you talk about George Piro, you’re talking about an individual with the highest level of integrity and credibility you could possibly imagine,” Novitzky said. “While I had a noticeable Federal law enforcement career, my resume pales in comparison to that of George Piro. As I talk about George Piro, he’s quite literaly an American hero.”
Piro will have the ultimate power to make decisions regarding drug testing infractions and punishments handed down as part of the UFC’s anti-doping program. Fighters will still have the ability to seek arbitration under the updated program, which will be handled by McLaren Global Sports Solutions.
Novitzky added that Piro will serve completely independent of UFC oversight when it comes to the anti-doping program.
“George will make every — and I stress every — final decision in the program,” Novitzky said. “That authority will be his and his alone.”
As far as other tweaks and changes to the program, Novitzky and UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell stated that there will be updates still to come, but for now the same rules and regulations will remain in place. They stressed that certain practices will change such as fighters being drug tested at all hours of the day or night or during strenuous situations like in the middle of a weight cut on fight week.
The UFC will also work closely with Drug Free Sport International on the implementation of newer and better technology to help track athletes to make it easier to collect samples when necessary.
Novitzky added that transparency surrounding the program will remain paramount with information like the anti-doping policy as well as athletes who have been tested and the number of times they have been tested will remain available to the public.
“Competitors, media, public fans will be able to read word-for-word what the rules of the program are,” Novitzky said. “They will continue to see who is tested and when, even more accuracy than what is going on right now with USADA. In fact, we’ll continue our testing milestone recognition program.”
Overall, Novitzky sounded confident that the updated UFC anti-doping program will be a much improved process once 2024 kicks off.
“What you’re going to see is smarter, more efficient, greater use of technology and once again, more convenience to our athletes,” Novitzky said. “And that’s going to be right off the bat.”