The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has cultivated some of the toughest and most talented fighters around to add to their roster. As the world’s most famous mixed martial arts promotion, this is perhaps no surprise.
To make sure that all of their fighters are on the up and up, the UFC has joined forces with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). As the UFC’s anti-doping watch dogs, the mixed martial arts promotion has entered a new era of heightened scrutiny and stringent testing.
Consequently, there have been more than a few fighters to fail a drug test from time to time. Here is a look at the top five fighters that were never the same after the iteration of USADA.
#1: Erick Silva
UFC welterweight Erick Silva was taking the world of MMA by storm early in his tenure with the UFC. The fighter went on to dish out a brutal beat down to MMA veteran Josh Koscheck that ultimately ended in the veteran’s retirement. Shortly there after, the UFC would go on to implement USADA and year-round drug testing.
Since then, Silva has gone 1-4 in his mixed martial arts career. Most recently, the fighter suffered a unanimous decision loss to Jordan Mein.
#2: Renan Barao
Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao has suffered a similar fate since the implementation of USADA. The former title holder had gone nearly ten years without suffering a loss in his career, when the fighter faced a tough title ending defeat to T.J. Dillashaw inside the octagon.
Since then, USADA quickly began enforcing their drug testing policy and Barao has since gone 1-4 in his career.
#3: Johny Hendricks
Johny Hendricks was once a dominant competitor in the UFC’s welterweight class. A former UFC welterweight champion, Johny Hendricks put on brutal wars with the likes of fellow former title holders Georges St-Pierre and Robbie Lawler.
However, Hendricks has gone 1-5 in the sport of mixed martial arts since USADA made its way to the UFC following Hendricks’ big win over Matt Brown.
Johny Hendricks Pre-USADA
Johny Hendricks Post-USADA
#4: Alistair Overeem
UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem has not suffered a brutal losing streak since the implementation of USADA. However, the fighter’s physique has faced a serious change since his transition into the octagon.
During his time under the promotion Pride FC, Overeem was a different bulk of heavyweight. The fighter carried a massive physique that has since shrunk under the UFC. The fighter is now coming off of a tough knockout loss to Francis Ngannou.
Pre-USADA Alistair Overeem
Post-USADA Alistair Overeem
#5: Vitor Belfort
Former UFC champion and mixed martial arts veteran Vitor Belfort allegedly made great use of the therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) that allowed fighters to take testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) during the earlier years of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, the NSAC would go on to ban the use of TUEs. Shortly after, the UFC implemented USADA as their anti-doping watch dogs and TRT became banned altogether.
Vitor Belfort’s stunning physique swiftly turned into a more subtle show of fitness as TRT became outlawed. Now the fighter is sporting a much less shredded body than his former self.
