Dopers: Sherk and Franca Test Positive

It seems like the doping headlines never end. Only months after Royce Gracie was found to have used an illegal substance before his K-1 Hero’s bout with Kazushi Sakuraba, current UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk and recent challenger Hermes Franca both tested positive using urine samples taken before UFC 73.

Franca immediately issued his apology stating that he was forced to use illegal substances to facilitate the healing process of an injured ankle 8 weeks before he was set to face Sherk in the octagon. Franca’s excuse might be the only thing to keep UFC President Dana White from doing anything irrational in regards to the Brazilian’s MMA career in the largest fighting organization.

That brings us to the canned response posted by White on the UFC’s website immediately following the California State Athletic Commission’s findings regarding the two lightweight fighters. Not only does White, who has been seen screaming at fighters for mis-representating the UFC and MMA, offer a another vague “drugs are bad” speech, he says nothing about taking action against the fighters who are making his organization look bad. Sherdog.com editor Josh Gross offered this open letter to Dana White demanding some answers from the UFC President as to why the UFC is allowing such unregulated rampart use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs in the octagon. Dana White isn’t the only one as discussed in Gross’s article. Other organizations are not properly reprimanding fighters who are making a fool out of themselves and the MMA organization as a whole.

This news comes only a few days after the CSAC released statistics showing that 3 out of every 4 failed drug test came from a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. This is a terrible showing on the part of fighters who are constantly taking abuse from MMA critics across the world. You can’t blame Hermes Franca for wanting to win considering that fighting is how to puts food on his table. You can blame Hermes Franca for taking illegal substances to win though. After pulling in a meager $14,000, he’ll be fined a couple thousand dollars and suspended from fighting for a year. Was it all worth it? Not only did Franca make himself look terrible, he also lost any chance to make money for an entire year.

If MMA wants to survive, the fighters, the promotors, and the organizations have to put an end to the substance use and abuse now. Will we see an immediate change without state or national government intervention? It’s doubtful and it’s sad that the organizations are proving to themselves and to the fans that money is more important than health.