LAS VEGAS -- UFC president Dana White isn't against testosterone replacement therapy on principal, he told reporters after Thursday afternoon's UFC 132 pre-fight press conference, but all testosterone use isn't equal in the boss's eyes"There's a difference between testosterone replacement therapy and when you get it to a level where it's performance-enhancing," White said.
As for the differences between the situation with Chael Sonnen, who White said should have been granted a license to fight "a month ago" after serving his suspension for testosterone use, and Nate Marquardt, who he fired from the UFC after the fighter was pulled from last weekend's UFC Live card for his use of the same hormone, a lot seems to hinge on past behavior and full disclosure, at least in White's eyes.
"The difference with Chael and Marquardt, is we can talk about everything in the Chael incident. We can't with Marquardt. I've seen some of the stuff people are saying. You think I'm this crazy, emotional psycho. Give me a break. This isn't the first time. Everybody's like, 'Oh, give him a second chance.' This would be like the fourth time."
White pointed to medical privacy laws in the state of Pennsylvania as the reasons why he couldn't talk more about the Marquardt situation, but seized on Marquardt's past positive drug test and his problems gaining a therapeutic-use exemption in New Jersey as reasons for Marquardt's dismissal.
"He tested positive before, then apparently he was on suspension with New Jersey, because his levels were high, then he comes into [Pittsburgh] and he doesn't pass his medicals. Now you tell me: is that the fourth chance? Or is that a second chance? Sounds like a fourth chance to me."
As for why Marquardt was even offered a fight in Pittsburgh when he was still dealing with lingering issues from his TUE application in New Jersey, White said he wasn't aware that Marquardt was not totally cleared following UFC 128, though other UFC officials were.
"I literally didn't know that until Thursday, but people in my organization did -- the people who handled the medicals and things like that," White said. "I was pretty upset about it when I found out about it on Thursday. ...If I would've known earlier, I would have made sure it was handled differently."
The way White sees it, testosterone replacement therapy is not, in and of itself, always a problem for professional fighters. There are some who may legitimately need it for one reason or another, he said, and those fighters "probably need to really take it."
That said, there's getting back to normal hormone levels and then there's getting to higher than normal levels, and the distinction is what matters.
"I think it depends. Listen, it's obvious that there's guys who use steroids early in their career, and when you get up to around that age, 30 years old, your body isn't producing it the way that it's supposed to. Listen, I'm the furthest f--king thing from a doctor you'll ever see, but I guess if they go in there and start replacing it and getting it to normal levels where normal, average guys are at these levels. If it's five or whatever over that, you're taking too much or you're going to see the wrong doctor. I think this whole testosterone therapy thing works for guys who absolutely need it, but I think it's a messy loophole."
In the case of Marquardt, White said he thinks it's "fair" that New Jersey won't overturn his win against Dan Miller, but said the fighter has absolutely no future in the UFC, even though there's no personal animosity between them.
"Nate's done," said White. "I'm done with Nate. Listen, Nate's a really nice guy. He's a really sweet, nice, humble guy, but the facts are the facts and it is what it is. It's easier to go after a guy like Josh Barnett. He's just callous and rude and he's a d--k. So when he does it it's easier to just go, you know what, f--k Josh Barnett. The difference is, Nate's such a sweet, nice guy, but the same results."
A few months ago, a fighter like Marquardt might have been able to reconcile his career in Strikeforce after being banished from the UFC. But now that the UFC's parent company, Zuffa, owns that organization as well, could Marquardt still have a shot with MMA's second-biggest promotion?
"I don't know," White said. "Don't even ask me about Strikeforce."
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Source: http://mmafighting.com/2011/06/30/nate-marquardt-is-done-dana-white-says-but-trt-use-a-trickie/
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