In a revealing segment from the MMA History Podcast, veteran MMA star and grappler Jeff Monson exposed concerning details about how PED use influenced major grappling competition scheduling decisions. During an extensive interview covering his storied career, Monson dropped a revelation about the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) championships.
When discussing the prevalence of ster*id use in grappling competitions, Monson candidly acknowledged that he and many competitors weren’t clean during events that didn’t test.
“When I got tested I made sure I was clean, when I didn’t get tested like yeah for Abu Dhabi so I said all these guys metal they just say people aren’t Jack I mean it’s just just blind to yourself you know everybody”
, Monson admitted.
The most concerning revelation came when podcast hosts Miguel Iturrate and Mike Davis confirmed they had witnessed firsthand conversations about scheduling competitions around ster*id cycles.
“Miguel and I both work for Abu Dhabi and we both had questions or we both had had to have conversations where people said well it’s not enough time for us to get to our cycle no no no you can’t play in the trials or you can’t do this then we need it a little further out so we can get a couple Cycles in US like those conversations actually took place”
, Davis revealed.
This admission confirms long-standing suspicions within the grappling community about the influence of PEDs on competition scheduling. The revelation suggests that ADCC organizers were explicitly told by potential competitors that they needed more time to complete ster*id cycles before major tournaments and that these requests influenced when events were scheduled.
Monson‘s honesty about his own PED use provides context for these scheduling decisions. He explained his rationale:
“If they don’t say it’s illegal you know if it’s like okay you’re on it you’re on it whatever we’re not testing well the guy across from you most certainly is.”
This mentality appears to have been widespread among elite grapplers during the era when testing was inconsistent or non-existent.
The podcast discussion revealed the complex relationship between testing and competition integrity in grappling. Monson described situations where he would ensure he was clean for tested events while admitting to PED use when no testing was scheduled. This calculated approach to use based on testing protocols highlights the systematic nature of the problem.
The revelation about ADCC scheduling adds another layer to ongoing discussions about PEDs in combat sports. If major competitions were indeed scheduling events around competitors’ ster*id cycles it raises serious questions about the integrity.
These admissions from respected figures in the grappling world provide unprecedented insight into how deeply embedded PED use was in the sport’s culture. The fact that competition schedules were allegedly influenced by competitors’ cycles suggests a level of institutionalized acceptance that went far beyond individual choice.
