With the UFC collaborating with the USADA to roll out a new, much more stringent drug testing policy next month, former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is hoping his promotion responds in kind.
"I think I've been a little (bit) ignorant to the fact that there's a lot more people using performance-enhancers than I thought there was," Chandler told MMAjunkie.com's Steven Marrocco. "Now, in the last few years, with so many people getting caught, and with more people getting caught, you get more people talking and more hearsay.
"You start putting two and two together, and you realize that this sport maybe a little more dirty than I thought it was. The fact that that's happening right now with USADA, obviously one of the biggest anti-doping agencies if not the biggest one, it's great, and I hope Bellator follows suit."
Set to face Derek Campos at Bellator 138 in June, Chandler sees himself as a locker room leader, so, although it may take time, money, and effort to implement a new program, he isn't afraid to voice his opinions to Bellator brass.
"But I do think if anybody has a voice in this company, I'm one of the top guys. I've been with the company a long time," Chandler said. "In a lot of ways, some of their success can be attributed to my career and what I've done for the company. So I do think I have a stake to claim and have a voice. It’s not easy to make demands like that. But I'll definitely be putting it in his ear, and hopefully something happens."
New drug testing policy or not, Chandler isn't worried about squaring off against someone with a chemical advantage.
"Whether you’re on the juice, or whether you're off the juice, I think it's kind of a cop-out and easy road and shows mental weakness," he said. "There are people that want to work hard in this life, and there are people who want to cut corners, and if they're cutting corners in that aspect of their life, it just shows they don't want to work as hard as the next guy, and your breaking point is a lot lower than me and guys like me. I welcome it."
