Unexpectedly, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) are ending their long-standing collaboration and launching a new anti-doping initiative.
Paulo Costa, the UFC middleweight contender, is one name that sticks out in this unexpected turn of events amidst this shift. Oddly, despite his current absence from the competitive scene, he tops the list of athletes with the most USADA testing. Costa’s name is prominently displayed with an astounding 135 samples, highlighting the strict anti-doping regulations that have been essential to the UFC’s cooperation with USADA.
Paulo Costa leads UFC’s most USADA tested athlete list
Costa is ranked at the top of the most-tested list, which classifies his ideology of fair and clean competition. At the same time, the focus is on Conor McGregor, the former champion of the two divisions, who is still talked about even though he doesn’t have a scheduled rematch. Fans are left wondering when the captivating Irishman will be back in the octagon as a result of McGregor’s expressed displeasure with the timing of his comeback.
With the UFC's partnership with USADA ending in mere days, here are the most tested athletes (by sample amount shown) in the anti-doping program's history (per USADA's database)
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) December 29, 2023
Paulo Costa 135
Jon Jones 111
Kamaru Usman 97
TJ Dillashaw 92
Amanda Nunes90
Jiri Prochazka 89
The disclosure of Paulo Costa’s 135 samples examined by USADA during the UFC’s transition to a new anti-doping program raises questions about the rigor of testing protocols and the competitors’ steadfast dedication to maintaining the rules of fair competition.
Paulo Costa was tested 36 times in 2023 despite no UFC fights
Separately, as the UFC ends its partnership with the organization, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has revealed which fighters will take the most drug tests in 2023. Paulo Costa, aka “Borrachinha,” is the leader of the group with an incredible 36 drug tests. His lead is especially remarkable because he had to pull out of a fight with Khamzat Chimaev because of elbow surgery.
Thread:
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 22, 2023
The database now includes breakdowns of Sample Count and Test Session Count:
As of December 21, fighters with the most USADA sample count in 2023:
Paulo Henrique Costa 36
Charles Johnson 33
Jon Jones 26
Sharabutdin Magomedov 25
Ariane Cristina Carnelossi 23
Magomed…
Charles Johnson comes in right behind with 33 tests, demonstrating the scope of the UFC’s anti-doping programs. With 26 tests, the current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones comes in third.
These test results demonstrate the UFC’s dedication to creating an environment of fair and clean competition as it says goodbye to USADA. The information demonstrates how strict anti-doping regulations are and how they are upheld even when fighters are not participating in competitions.
What do you think of UFC’s anti-doping tests? Tell us in the comments.
