UFC BJJ is set to implement PED testing for championship bouts, and Mikey Musumeci believes the move could significantly alter the competitive landscape of jiu-jitsu.
Speaking on an episode of the Overdogs BJJ podcast, Musumeci confirmed that a random testing program is on the way and suggested that some athletes may think twice about competing once it takes effect.
“I do like though later in the year there’ll be PED testing finally,” Musumeci said. “So I feel a lot of people that are vocal about having matches with me or anything might suddenly disappear if there’s PED testing. But we’ll see.”
When asked when the program would begin, Musumeci explained that the rollout is expected later this year.
“I think closer to like September, October, it’ll be in like full effect,” he said. “And it’ll basically be that all champion matches will be PED tested.”
Musumeci then contrasted UFC BJJ’s proposed testing system with what he views as shortcomings in other organizations’ anti-doping efforts.
“Not how they do it now where like you could just rig the system and just cycle,” he said. “Like everyone in IBJJF, they’re like showing their results. You saw, look guys, I passed a d**g test.”
According to Musumeci, passing a scheduled test does not necessarily mean an athlete has been competing clean.
“Meanwhile, all of them are taking a ton of roids and they just cycle off,” he claimed. “Like all they need off is like three to four weeks, I think, and they taking other things that just don’t show up in their urine test.”
He continued by criticizing athletes who publicly celebrate negative test results.
“So then when they get the PED test and they pass and they post it online, guys, look, I passed the d**g test,” Musumeci said. “Meanwhile, they’ve been taking roids since they’re like 10 years old, which is very common right now.”
The key difference with UFC BJJ’s system, he explained, is that testing will be random and can happen at any point after a fight agreement is signed.
“What they’re going to do, UFC BJJ, they want to do random testing,” Musumeci said. “So if you sign a match, like an agreement, it’s not just after your match you get PED tested.”
Instead, athletes could be tested at virtually any time during their preparation.
“It could be the second you sign the agreement,” he said. “So now they could show up at your door immediately after signing that agreement or in the middle of your camp when it’s still in your system, the stuff that you were taking, and you’ll fail.”
Musumeci also addressed concerns that promotions sometimes selectively enforce testing policies to protect certain competitors.
“It’s not UFC BJJ choosing, you know,” he said. “Because I’ve been in organizations where they would completely skip people just because they’re on roids and they don’t want them to fail, so they would protect people.”
According to Musumeci, UFC BJJ plans to remove that potential conflict of interest.
“This is not going to be UFC BJJ choosing,” he said. “It’s going to be a separate committee choosing. So anyone that’s on this card at any moment could get tested.”
