Dana White launches stinging attack on USADA’s ‘straight-up scumbagism’ over Conor McGregor stance as partnership ends
DANA WHITE has launched a stinging attack on the United States Anti-Doping Agency following the news of the ending of their partnership with the UFC.
USADA announced this week that their contract with mixed martial arts’ premier promotion will not be renewed, despite having a “positive and productive meeting” about doing so in May.
The anti-doping agency claimed their relationship with the UFC became “untenable” over the organisation’s stance on the return of Conor McGregor – who recently re-entered their testing pool.
And White was far from happy with USADA airing their dirty laundry in public and the parting shots they included in their statement.
The UFC’s president and newly-minted CEO said: “It was a dirty move. That was straight-up scumbag-ism.
“So that will all be addressed today, not by me.
“I’ll let [Jeff] Novitzky and our lawyer Hunter Campbell handle that.
“The you know what is about to hit the fan.”
The UFC have yet to announce plans for the anti-doping protocols they plan to implement on January 1.
White, however, insists the promotion won’t oversee their own drug testing.
He told Pat McAfee: “We would pay an independent company [to oversee their testing].
‘It’s the best way to do it. We have a standard that we set here, but a lot of people are upset with USADA.
“And we’re working on going in another direction.”
Former two-division champion McGregor, who hasn’t fought since breaking his leg over two years ago, officially re-entered the pool on Sunday.
USADA policy requires athletes re-entering the pool to be enrolled for at least six months and provide two negative tests before they’re permitted to compete.
The UFC, however, do have the power to waive the written notice rule in “exceptional circumstances” – although fighters still have to pass two drug tests.
But with the UFC no longer being in business with USADA as of January 1, their poster boy will be free to return to the octagon from the New Year.
USADA CEO Travis Tygart believes the severing of the eight-year partnership is a devastating blow for the fighters.
He said: “We are disappointed for UFC athletes, who are independent contractors who rely on our independent, gold-standard global program to protect their rights to a clean, safe, and fair Octagon.
“The UFC’s move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under USADA’s leadership.”
He added: “Fighters’ long-term health and safety — in addition to a fair and level playing field — are more important to USADA than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes.”
MMA’s top promotion resumes pay-per-view action next Saturday with UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
The stacked card will be headlined by a lightweight title rematch between champion Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski.