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Leveling the Playing Field: The Call to Require States to Make and Follow Minimum National Standards for Licensing Mixed Martial Artists that Use Testosterone Replacement Therapy

2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 34; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/01947648.2013.768501

1521-057X

Cody Kay,

Sports, Gender, and Society

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Acknowledgments Third-year law student at Southern Illinois University. Notes Al Pacino as Coach Tony D’Amato, Any Given Sunday (Warner Brothers 1999). See Richard A. Posner, In Defense of Prometheus: Some Ethical, Economic, and Regulatory Issues of Sports Doping, 57 Duke L.J. 1725, 1728 (2008) (Posner reviews ethical, economic, and regulatory issues and states that consumer preference, and the preferences of the athletes affected, should be the only drivers of the “sports doping” issue). Id. at 1729-31. Hormone Solutions, Causes of Testosterone Deficiency, at http://www.hormonesolutions.com.au/content/testosterone-cream-for-men/causes-of-testosterone-deficiency-in-men.php (last visited Feb. 24, 2012). Jim Genia, Testosterone Replacement Therapy for Dummies (June, 30, 2011), http://www.mmaconvert.com/2011/06/30/ testosterone-replacement-therapy-for-dummies/. Id.; Natasha Singer, Does Testosterone Build a Better Athlete?, N.Y. Times, Aug. 10, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/10/fashion/10Fitness.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. MLB, Drug Policy in Baseball, http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/ news/drug_policy.jsp?content=timeline (last visited Apr. 23, 2012); Tom Farrey, The Case for HGH, http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3636294; NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program Prohibited Substances, http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=NBA/NBPA_Anti-Drug_Program_Prohibited_Substances (last visited Apr. 23, 2012); NHL, NHLPA Team Up Against Performance-Enhancing Substances (July 22, 2005), http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/cba/drug_testing072205.html. George J. Mitchell, Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steriods and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball (2007), available at http://files.mlb.com/summary.pdf. Peter Gammons & Rob Neyer, What Will Be the Fallout from the Mitchell Report? (Mar. 24, 2008), http://sports.espn.go.com/sportsnation/news/story?page=MLBStoryMitchellReport (baseball writers Gammons and Neyer present opinions about how to look back on the tainted, “steroid era” of the sport). Mitchell, supra note 8, at 38. Gammons & Neyer, supra note 9. ESPN, Players Union Agrees to More Frequent Drug Testing (Apr. 18, 2008), http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/ story?id=3341940. John Hartley, MMA Roundup: Sonnen, Marquardt, TRT Mania (June 29, 2011), http://www.fightmania.com/mma-editorials/mma-roundup-sonnen-marquardt-trt-mania/. Id. Id. Id. Jeremy Brand, How Legitimate Is TRT? (July 14, 2011), http://www.mmasucka.com/news/legitimate-trt/. See generally Dr. Johnny Benjamin, Medical Beat: In MMA, Testosterone-Replacement Therapy Is Too Ripe for Abuse (June 29, 2011), http://mmajunkie.com/news/24201/medical-beat-in-mma-testosterone-replacement-therapy-is-too-ripe-for-abuse.mma. Steve Cofield, Bas Rutten Calls Out Testosterone/Hormone Replacement Therapy Users (July 11, 2011), http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/bas-rutten-calls-out-testosterone-replacement-therapy-users?urn=mma,wp4566. Id. Zach Arnold, Victor Conte: Time for Commissions to Use Carbon Isotope Ratio Testing (Nov. 21, 2011), http://www.fightopinion.com/2011/11/21/victor-conte-improving-drug-testing/. Steven Marrocco, Though TUE Amendment Passed, CSAC Expects Lengthy Review, Few Exemptions (Apr. 12, 2012), http://mmajunkie.com/news/28214/though-tue-amendment-passed-csac-expects-lengthy-review-few-exemptions.mma. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Testosterone Replacement Therapy, http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/ testosterone_replacement_therapy/hic_testosterone_replacement_therapy.aspx (last visited Nov. 30, 2012). Id. Eberhard Nieschla et al., Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Current Trends and Future Directions, 10 Hum. Reprod. 409, 409–10 (2004). Nazem Bassil et al., The Benefits and Risks of Testosterone Replacement Therapy: A Review, J. Therapeutics & Clin. Risk Mgmt. 427, 428 (2009). A Harvard Expert Shares His Thoughts on Testosterone-Replacement Therapy (Feb. 18, 2011), available at http://www.harvardprostateknowledge.org/a-harvard-expert-shares-his-thoughts-on-testosterone-replacement-therapy. Testosterone Therapy: Key to Male Vitality?, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/testosterone-therapy/MC00030 (last visited Feb. 24, 2012). Benjamin, supra note 18. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, supra note 23. Id. Testosterone Therapy, supra note 28. Id. Vitamin T—Is There Such a Thing?, Primary Care Associates (Apr. 2, 2012), http://www.primarycareak.com/blog/. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, supra note 23. Id. Benjamin, supra note 18. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, supra note 23. Id. A Harvard Expert, supra note 27. Nieschla, supra note 25. Id. Id. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, supra note 23. Id. Id. Id. Id. Testosterone Therapy, supra note 28. Kurtis Hiatt, No Magic in Testosterone Replacement Therapy, Health U.S. News (Nov. 5, 2010), available at http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/sexual-and-reproductive-health/articles/2010/11/05/no-magic-in-testosterone-replacement-therapy. The author discusses that an aging male should not press his physician for a TRT prescription as soon as the man loses his sex drive and feels like he is “losing his edge.” Further, the author points out that many of the benefits the older man is looking for will not be able to be confirmed until a study by the National Institute of Health is completed six years from the time of the publishing. See Bassil et al., supra note 26. Id. Cleveland Clinic Foundation, supra note 23. Mixed Martial Arts: Sport or Spectacle? (Aug. 24, 2007), http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13901908. Id. UFC, Rules and Regulations, http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/rules-and-regulations. See, e.g., How Much Is the UFC Worth? (Sept. 23, 2010), http://www.mmamania.com/2010/9/23/1707472/how-much-is-the-ufc-worth. International Federation of Pankration, Historical Background, http://www.pankration.gr/history.htm (last visited Nov. 30, 2012). T.P. Grant, MMA Origins: UFC 1 (Mar. 26, 2012), http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/3/26/2890710/mma-origins-ufc-1-MMA-History; Mixed Martial Arts: MMA Yesterday and Today, http://www.no-gi-grappling.com/mixed-martial-arts.html (last visited Nov. 30, 2012). Grant, supra note 59. Id. Id. Id. Id. Fish hooking is defined as the insertion of fingers into an orifice of a person with the intent to pull and tear tissue surrounding the orifice. MMA Glossary, Fight! http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-glossary/#F (last visited Nov. 30, 2012). Mixed Martial Arts, supra note 54. New Jersey Athletic Control Board Corrects Mainstream Media after It Buys into the Zuffa Myth (July 20, 2006), http://www.whaledog.com/?p=70. Matthew Kaplowitz, Where Are They Now?—A Brief History of Zuffa Buying Its Competition (Mar. 28, 2011), http://www.cagepotato.com/where-are-they-now-%E2%80%94-a-brief-history-of-zuffa-buying-its-competition/. Id. Dave Doyle, UFC 40: Signs of Life (May 12, 2009), http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dd- ufcforty051209. The event was headlined by a title fight between break-out stars Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Kaplowitz, supra note 67. UFC PPV Revenue Tops $200 Million in 2006 (Mar. 1, 2007), http://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-ppv-revenue-tops-200-million-in-2006-2. Dave Meltzer, All the Rage: Will Alistair Overeem Rule the UFC—Or Bring It Down? (Apr. 19, 2012), http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7829692/will-alistair-overeem-rule-ufc-#8212-bring-down. Id. Meltzer, supra note 72; Daniela Altimari, Mixed Martial Arts Wants State's Sanction, Hartford Courant, Feb. 23, 2011, http://articles.courant.com/2011-02-23/news/hc-mixed-martial-arts-0223-20110223_1_mma-martial-arts-boxing. Josh Gross, UFC, Fox Agree to Seven-Year Deal (Aug. 18, 2011), http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/6874530/ufc-reaches-seven-year-broadcast-deal-fox-networks. Genia, supra note 5; Meltzer, supra note 72. Josh Gross, Hendo All for Standard TRT Procedures (July 28, 2011), http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/6812216/dan-henderson-hopes-standard-trt-procedures. Robert Rousseau, Biography and Profile of Dan Henderson, About.com, http://martialarts.about.com/od/mmaandufc/p/danhenderson.htm. Among Henderson's most notable accomplishments were representing the United States in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics in Greco-Roman wrestling. Additionally, he medaled in his junior and senior years in high school at the state championships for California in 1987 and 1988 and also wrestled for Division I programs Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State University. Id. Id. Id. Id. Erik Fontanez, MMAWeekly.com Fight of the Year: Henderson, Shogun Make for Memorable War (Jan. 1, 2012), http://www.mmaweekly.com/mmaweekly-com-fight-of-the-year-henderson-shogun-make-for-memorable-war. CSAC Releases Statement on Sonnen Suspension (Sept. 22, 2010), http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/CSAC-Releases-Statement-on-Sonnen-Suspension-27047. Id. Mike Chiapetta, As Chael Sonnen Prepares for Steroids Hearing, More Details Emerge (Dec. 1, 2010), http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/01/as-chael-sonnen-prepares-for-steroids-hearing-more-details-emer. The normal testosterone ratio is 1:1. High-level athletes tend to naturally produce more testosterone, and thus the CSAC allows up to a 4:1 ratio. “Statistics reveal that a ratio of up to 3.7:1 will capture 95 percent of all normal men, and a ratio of up to 5:1 will capture greater than 99 percent of all men.” CagePotato PSA: Cycling Off Steroids Is Really Easy If You Know the Test Is Coming, at http://www.cagepotato.com/cagepotato-psa-cycling-off-steroids-is-really-easy-if-you-know-the-test-is-coming/ (last visited Nov. 30, 2012). Id. Sonnen's Suspension Reduced to Six Months (Dec. 3, 2010), http://www.cagepotato.com/sonnens-suspension-reduced-six-months/. Id. Id. Id.; Josh Gross, Chael Sonnen's Suspension Upheld (May 20, 2011), http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=6563904. Sonnen would later have his suspension changed to an indefinite period due a matter completely unrelated, a conviction for money laundering. Chael Sonnen, Sherdog Fight Finder, http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Chael-Sonnen-4112 (last visited Nov. 1, 2012). Dave Doyle, White Beefs up TUF with Jones-Sonnen, but Bout Raises Concerns (Oct. 17, 2012), http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/dave_doyle/10/17/jon-jones-chael-sonnen-tuf/index.html. Id. Id. Id. Hartley, supra note 13. UFC Boss “Disgusted” by Marquardt's Actions, Stands Behind Recent Release (June 26, 2011), http://mmajunkie.com/news/24167/ufc-boss-disgusted-by-marquardts-actions-stands-behind-recent-release.mma. Id. Marquardt's Suspension Lifted by NSAC (Jan. 6, 2006), http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Marquardts-Suspension-Lifted-by-NSAC-3809. See Matt Erickson, New Strikeforce Champ Nate Marquardt: “I Feel Like I’m the Best in the World,” MMA News (July 15, 2012), http://mmajunkie.com/news/29712/new-strikeforce-champ-nate-marquardt-i-feel-like-im-the-best-in-the-world.mma. Id. Mike Chiappetta, One Year after Firing, Nate Marquardt off TRT and Ready for Zuffa Return, MMA News (June 4, 2012), http://www.mmafighting.com/strikeforce/2012/6/4/3063753/one-year-after-firing-nate-marquardt-off-trt-and-ready-for-zuffa. Mitchel Lichtman, How Do Baseball Players Age? (Part 1) (Dec. 21, 2009), http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/ article/how-do-baseball-players-age-part-1/. Id. Tristan H. Cockcroft, Breaking Down 30-Year-Old Running Backs (June 11, 2008), http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=nfldk2k830rbs. Id. MMA Rankings Updated March 21st, http://zewkey.com/rankingstest.htm (last visited Nov. 28, 2012). Doug Smith, List of the Oldest Players in NBA (Jan. 26, 2012), http://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/nba/article/1121981–list-of-the-oldest-players-in-nba (reporting that Kurt Thomas is the oldest player in the NBA, having been born October 4, 1972; Henderson was born on August 24, 1970). Posner, supra note 2, at 1725–27. Id. at 1727. See id. at 1731. See id. Matt Erickson, With Knockouts Instead of Strikeouts, Testosterone a Bigger Issue for MMA than MLB, MMA News (Aug. 23, 2012), available at http://mmajunkie.com/news/ 30330/with-more-than-strikeouts-at-stake-testosterone-a-more-serious-issue-for-mma-than-mlb.mma; Meltzer, supra note 72. Meltzer, supra note 72. Id. Id. David Zinczenko, It Only Looks Dangerous, N.Y. Times, Apr. 1, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/02/opinion/02Zinczenko.html. Id. Id. Fighter Dies in South Carolina After First Pro Bout (June 28, 2010), available at http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Fighter-Dies-in-South-Carolina-After-First-Pro-Bout-25374. Joseph R. Svinth, Death Under the Spotlight: Analyzing the Data, J. Combative Sports (Nov. 2007), available at http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_a_0700.htm. 5 Reasons Why Wrestling Is the Best MMA Base, available at http://weheartmma.com/post/841109708/5-reasons-why-wrestling-is-the-best-mma-base (last visited Nov. 28, 2012). Jack Ransone & Brian Hughes, Body-Weight Fluctuation in Collegiate Wrestlers: Implications of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Weight-Certification Program, 39(2) J. Athletic Training 162, 163-64 (2004), available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC419511/. Id. at 164. Id. Jerry Brainum, Testosterone and Rapid Weight Loss, Iron Man, June 26, 2009, http://www.ironmanmagazine.com/testosterone-and-rapid-weight-loss/. Id. Id. See generally Matt Erickson, With Knockouts Instead of Strikeouts, Testosterone a Bigger Issue for MMA Than MLB, USA Today Sports, Aug. 23, 2012, http://mmajunkie.com/news/30330/with-more-than-strikeouts-at-stake-testosterone-a-more-serious-issue-for-mma-than-mlb. Ben Fowlkes, The Truth about Making Weight, The Dolce Diet (2012), http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/04/22/the-truth-about-making-weight. Jesse Holland, Thiago Alves Gains Nearly 30 Pounds in Three Hours after UFC on FX 2 Weigh-Ins (Mar. 2, 2012), available at http://www.mmamania.com/2012/3/2/2839067/ufc-fx-2-weigh-in-results-thiago-alves-gains-30-pounds-three-hours-dolce-diet. Franklin McNeil, Frankie Edgar Eyes 145-Pound Class (Aug. 22, 2012), http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/ 8291377/report-ex-lightweight-champ-frankie-edgar-moving-featherweight. Frankie Edgar had won the 155-pound title in the UFC and retained it three times before losing twice to a much larger Benson Henderson. Edgar's walk-around weight is only 158 pounds, a weight more typically that describes what a 135-pound fighter walks around at. He is now dropping to the 145-pound division where he likely will still be on the smaller side for the division. See Dann Stupp & John Morgan, Despite UFC 142 Exception, Dana White Not Adding Fight-Night Weights to Broadcasts (Jan. 15, 2012), http://mmajunkie.com/news/26985/ despite-ufc-142-exception-dana-white-not-adding-fight-night-weights-to-broadcasts.mma. This article points to one exception of a forced fight day weigh-in limit after Anthony Johnson originally weighed in at 11 pounds over the 186-pound limit. This exception was made because Johnson's opponent, Vitor Belfort, agreed to fight Johnson even though Johnson had missed weight by that extreme margin and both the UFC and Belfort wanted to mitigate Johnson's unfair weight advantage as much as reasonably possible by the time of the fight. Johnson met this 205-pound limit for the noon weigh-in the day of the fight and would go on to lose to Belfort in the first round. Gross, supra note 77. Id. Id. Rankings Broken Down by Weight Class 2001-Present (May 7, 2010), http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f44/rankings-broken-down-weight-class-2001-present-1204466/. Bob Velin, Hopkins Defeats Pascal to Become Oldest Major Champion, USA Today, May 22, 2011, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2011–05-22-hopkins-defeats-pascal_N.htm. Mike Brehm, Corey Perry Wins MVP Award; Lidstrom Wins Seventh Norris, USA Today, June 22, 2011, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2011–06-22-nhl-awards-show_n.htm. Posner, supra note 2, at 1738. Id. Gammons & Neyer, supra note 11. UFC Heavyweight Championship, http://www.mmalinker.com/wiki/index.php/UFC_Heavyweight_Championship (last modified May 31, 2012). Brand, supra note 17. Liam O’Farrel, 10 Greatest Moments in UFC History, Fight in the Cage, http://www.fightsincage.com/10-greatest-moments-in-ufc-history/ (last visited Nov. 28, 2012). UFC, supra note 144. Id. Randy “The Natural” Couture, http://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/randy-couture-the-natural (last visited Nov. 28, 2012). Id. Id. Among his film credits, Couture was the lead villain in the movie “The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior” in 2008, and he recently co-starred in the 2010 Hollywood blockbuster “The Expendables” as the character “Toll Road,” a role that he reprised in the sequel in the fall of 2012. Mike Fagan, Dan Henderson Comments on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (July 12, 2011), http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/7/12/2272485/dan-henderson-comments-testosterone-replacement-therapy-mma-news. Id. Gross, supra note 77. Fagan, supra note 152. John Barr & Josh Gross, UFC Fighters Say Low Pay Simply Brutal (Jan. 15, 2012), http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/ story/_/page/UFCpay/ufc-fighters-say-low-pay-most-painful-hit-all. Id. The only way to ensure the upper echelon of pay is to become a champion because the UFC will then give the fighter a percentage of revenue generated from pay-per-view buys. These lucrative percentages increase along with the length the champion holds the title. Former champions and popular fighters, such as Randy Couture, can also negotiate this into their contract. Id. See Zinczenko, supra note 118. Dana White Is Gonna “Come Down on This Thing” (Apr. 23, 2012), http://fightlinker.com/dana-white-promises-to-come-down-on-cheating/. Id. Id. Just a year before, White told reporters there was pressure to keep WADA testing out of the sport. Marrocco, supra note 22. Id. See Arnold, supra note 21. Michael David Smith, UFC 136: Chael Sonnen Submits Brian Stann, Calls Out Anderson Silva (Oct. 8, 2011), http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/10/08/ufc-136-chael-sonnen-submits-brian-stann-calls-out-anderson-si#2910948. Christian Red, A Counterpunch Against PEDs in Boxing, MMA, N.Y. Daily News, Dec. 31, 2011, http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-12-31/news/30577736_1_mma-athletes-boxing. Marrocco, supra note 22. Dr. Johnny Benjamin, Ask the Fight Doc: What Do You Make of Chael Sonnen's CSAC Testosterone Case? (Dec. 7, 2010), http://mmajunkie.com/news/21657/ask-the-fight-doc-what-do-you-make-of-chael-sonnens-csac-testosterone-case.mma. The knowledge of Sonnen's physician on TRT became questionable when the physician admitted that he was unaware that low testosterone from testicular atrophy is a common and widely known side effect of anabolic-steroid use. Marrocco, supra note 22. Id. Brand, supra note 17. Marrocco, supra note 22. Arnold, supra note 21; No Holds Barred: Dr. Margaret Goodman on Why More Fighters Are Joining VADA's Voluntary Drug-Testing Program, http://www.global-mma.com/t3725-no-holds-barred-dr-margaret-goodman-on-why-more-fighters-are-joining-vada-s-voluntary-drug-testing-program (last visited Nov. 29, 2012); Benjamin, supra note 169. Arnold, supra note 21. Id. See Duane Finley, MMA: The Pros & Cons of Stepping Up to Fight on Short Notice (Oct. 2, 2012), http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1356206-the-pros-cons-of-stepping-up-to-fight-on-short-notice (examining the advantages and disadvantages of fighting on short notice); see also Jason Probst, An Ode to Short Notice UFC Replacements (Aug. 14, 2012), http://www.mmamania.com/2012/8/14/3241212/an-ode-to-short-notice-ufc-replacements (stating that up to 30% of fights in the UFC come from one of the original opponents dropping out and being replaced on short notice). Marrocco, supra note 22. Matthew Miller, Ultimate Cash Machine, Forbes Mag., May 5, 2008, available at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0505/080.html.