UFC 146: Frank Mir was granted exemption for testosterone into Junior dos Santos bout

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The acceptance of testosterone replacement therapy in mixed martial arts continues to be a growing issue, and yet another very high profile UFC fighter has been approved for the treatment.

According to Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer, Mir applied, and received a therapeutic use exemption for, the treatment for his fight with Junior dos Santos at UFC 146.

Kizer told MMATorch that Mir applied for a therapeutic use exemption in March, citing an abnormally low testosterone level, and has complied with the tests required by the NSAC to date. That includes passing the post fight drug test from the event as was reported earlier this afternoon.

Mir ultimately lost to dos Santos in their Heavyweight Championship bout on the card last weekend, with the Champion stopping him in the second round by TKO.

Penick's Analysis: Dos Santos was so adamantly against Alistair Overeem for his testosterone use, which led to his removal and a nine-month license denial, and then he wound up fighting someone on testosterone anyway. This entire situation with TRT is getting out of hand, and it's being used as a "legal" way to dope by fighters more often than not. It's laughable that the NSAC took such a hardline stance against Nick Diaz for marijuana, questioning whether it has performance enhancing benefits without any proof and using that against him, while letting this treatment continue to be utilized with very little questioning. This is an absolutely ridiculous situation, and it's clear it's just going to get worse as more and more fighters are being allowed to utilize this "treatment".

[Frank Mir art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13495.shtml

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