22nd Mar 2008
Anabolics in MMA
Where MMA fighters get the majority of their training is in the cage. Both Lawler and Sylvia train in Davenport, Iowa under the watchful eye of Pat Miletich. Having several competitive fighters working together is an added plus for most fighters.
“It’s hard to get a big head around here because we all just beat on each other,” Sylvia said. “I’ll go 12 (three-minute) rounds a day and then work on my grappling.”
Like most modern athletes, MMA fighters have incorporated nutrition into their workouts. Most will use supplements such as creatine as well as diets created specifically for them.
“At my age, it’s all about recovery,” Couture said. “I take a super-green powder called LightForce three times a day that gives you all the power from green vegetables. You can only sit around and eat so much salad.”
While most UFC fighters will downplay the use of steroids in training, most will admit there are fighters they know who will go that route. And seeing some of the fighters in mma, sometimes it’s tough to judge who uses steroids and who doesn’t. Like any other sport, professional athletes will always be tempted to use steroids and decide whether or not if they want to buy steroids or not. It’s a big risk for athletes alike, especially in the professional level.
Last year, Sylvia tested positive in a post-fight drug test for the steroid Winstrol. Sylvia, who was UFC heavyweight champion at the time, admitted to using the steroid and was suspended for six months. Instead of being viewed as being a negative, however, White and crew look at it as a success of the new UFC.
“He’s a real good kid, he made a mistake, he knows it, and he knows I don’t condone it at all,” White said. “The athletic commissions do all the drug tests for us now. We wanted to be regulated and it’s paying off.”
Sylvia has since returned, and the 275-pound heavyweight said his foray into steroids was a mistake. And while Sylvia said he has a love for training, he’s in the UFC for one reason – to knock people out.
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