UFC partnering with Drug Free Sport International after USADA split
UFC executive vice president and chief business officer Hunter Campbell announced Thursday that the promotion will move to Drug Free Sport International once it officially parts ways with USADA next year, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
Drug Free Sport also handles the NFL, NCAA, MLB, and NBA, among other leagues and organizations, notes Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart announced in a statement Wednesday that the agency would no longer oversee the UFC's anti-doping program effective Jan. 1, 2024. Tygart said USADA's relationship with the UFC became "untenable" mainly due to the significant discord between the two sides amid the recent Conor McGregor testing saga.
UFC president Dane White strongly criticized Tygart's announcement Thursday, calling it a "dirty move." Jeff Novitzky, the UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance, also blasted USADA's statement.
"It's false ... it's garbage ... it's trash," Novitzky said, according to Martin.
"I will never be involved with a program that compromises the values of what a gold or platinum standard looks like," he added, per Raimondi.
Novitzky also said George Piro, a former FBI agent, will be the new independent administrator overseeing the UFC's anti-doping program.
"Piro is not going to be waking up fighters in the middle of the night like what happened to (Alexander) Volkanovski in Abu Dhabi," he said. "Piro is not going to be collecting samples from (Paulo) Costa when he's cutting weight in Salt Lake City."
"USADA has confused the shit out of our fighters. They don't know what's going on," Novitzky added.
USADA has tested UFC fighters in and out of competition since July 2015.
Tygart addressed the situation again later Thursday, saying, "We stand by our statement and credibility."