MMA fighters using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) took a major blow today as the Nevada State Athletic Commission voted unanimously to ban it’s use in Nevada, the state in which most major UFC fights take place. This means no therapeutic use exemptions will be given out to any fighter, under any circumstance.
MMAJunkie.com has the details:
“In a stunning reversal of policy, the Nevada State Athletic Commission today voted unanimously to ban therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone-replacement therapy.
Moving forward, all fighters who wish to receive permission to undergo hormone replacement will not be allowed to apply for the exemption, and previous applicants will not be allowed another one.
NSAC commissioner Raymond “Skip” Avansino proposed the ban and said the commission does not have the resources to effectively monitor exemptions. NSAC chairman Francisco Aguilar added the commission’s previous exemption process took up too many resources for too little payoff.”
Following the news, the UFC released a statement fully supporting the NSAC’s decision:
“The Ultimate Fighting Championship fully supports the decision made today by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding the immediate termination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). We believe our athletes should compete based on their natural abilities and on an even playing field. We also intend to honor this ruling in international markets where, due to a lack of governing bodies, the UFC oversees regulatory efforts for our live events. We encourage all athletic commissions to adopt this ruling.”
