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When talking about the UFC, it is hard to keep Performance Enhancing Drugs away from the conversation. Ever since the company decided to enforce proper testing for drugs, many big names have been busted for PED usage.
Although all the fighters that tested positive might have their own stories and reasons, taking performance-enhancing drugs to get an upper hand inside the octagon cannot be defended at any level. And this applies to all fighters.
Over the years, many big names have fallen into such a pitfall and the phenomenon is still pretty much active in the MMA world. This slider will be focussing on the issue and we will be trying to list down some of the biggest names that tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
#5 Royce Gracie
Most people still find it hard to believe that Royce Gracie was once busted for PED usage. He is a legendary name in the sport and rightfully so. However, Gracie once tested positive for anabolic steroid- Nandrolone, in 2007.
The examination that Royce tested positive for was associated with his fight against Kazushi Sakuraba at K1 Dynamite USA. It was the rematch for their famous 90-minute battle that took place in 2000. While Sakuraba was the winner in 2000, it was Gracie that came out winning in the 2007 fight via a decision.
After this win, however, Royce tested positive for both his A sample and B sample. He was immediately suspended and fined. Though Royce went on to argue about the test results, he ended up paying the fine.
Fortunately for Royce, the rules of California State Athletic Commission did not have the provision to overturn his win over Sakuraba even after the positive test results.
So the legendary rivalry between Sakuraba and Royce currently stands at 1-1 although Royce Gracie tested positive after his win.
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#4 Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen is hands down one of the most entertaining fighters out there. His trash talking skills and fighting style are two things that many fans admire. However, Sonnen’s resume has some major black marks due to his PED busts. In fact, it was his multiple drug test failures that ended his career in the UFC.
Sonnen failed two random drug tests during his run in the UFC and in the second one, he tested positive for four banned substance. Also, one of the tests revealed that Sonnen had 16 times the normal amount of testosterone in his body. Sonnen announced his retirement from the sport due to the failed tests and he also had his UFC analyst position taken away.
In 2014, he was banned for two years by the NSAC as a result. Sonnen served the suspension and came out of retirement in 2016 by signing with Bellator MMA. He fought four times in the promotion and won two times.
#3 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar’s run in the UFC was an interesting one. He came into the promotion with a lot of hype due to his professional wrestling background. And this is perhaps the reason why UFC wanted to push him to the top. Lesnar got a shot at the UFC Heavyweight championship after winning just one fight in the promotion.
He then retired from the sport in 2011 due to injuries with a professional record of 5-3 to his name. Five years later, in 2015, Lesnar announced his return to the Octagon and he was pitted up against Mark Hunt at UFC 200.
The fight went the distance and Lesnar came out on top via a unanimous decision. However, he tested positive for estrogen blocker- Clomiphene and his win over Hunt was overturned. Along with it, Lesnar was suspended for one year and fined $250,000.
#2 Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is a legend, period. But we should not overlook the fact that he failed drug tests on two separate occasions under the USADA era.
After making his UFC debut in 2006, Silva went on to have a 16-fight winning streak which is still unmatched. He also won the UFC Middleweight championship in the time period and defended it ten times as well. However, Chris Weidman derailed this impressive run at UFC 162 and this kick-started Silva’s fall from the top.
After losing his rematch against Weidman, Silva was pitted up against Nick Diaz at UFC 183. Although Silva won the fight, the decision was overturned after the Brazilian tested positive for Drostanolone and Androsterone.
Silva then returned in 2016 but tested positive once again in 2017. He was handed a one-year suspension for this second test failure. Whether or not Silva destroyed his legacy with these drug test failures is a topic worth debating about.
#1 Jon Jones
Jon Jones is considered to be one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the UFC. Whenever he steps into the cage, he backs up this assumption with his performance. At the same time, Jones is one of the most controversial fighters out there.
The initial stages of his career saw him dominate the UFC Light Heavyweight division. He became a champion when he was 23-years-old and he secured wins over some big names like Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida and Quinton Jackson among others.
However, one month prior to his victory over Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, Jones tested positive for cocaine. He was not suspended since the incident took place in the Pre-USADA era and since the substance that he tested positive for was not banned by WADA when detected in the out-of-competition scenario.
Jones then tested positive for Clomiphene and Letrozole ahead of his UFC 200 fight against Daniel Cormier and this resulted in a one-year ban. Jones returned in 2017 and defeated Cormier to become the Light Heavyweight champion once again, but his reign didn’t last long after he was stripped and suspended for failing yet another drug test.
Who did we miss out on the list? Let us know in the comments below.
