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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
One of the most infamous exempt testosterone users in the UFC, Chael Sonnen, came out on Tuesday in support of UFC President Dana White's recent comments about the controversial TRT treatment, and he was joined this week by another exempt user, Dan Henderson.
Ahead of his bout with Lyoto Machida this Saturday at UFC 157, Henderson commented on White's contention that they'll be doing more extensive testing to root out abuse of TRT as it becomes a more prevalent treatment among the organization's fighters.
"Everyone's situation is different," Henderson said in an interview with MMAjunkie.com. "It could be a legitimate reason, it could not be – and obviously that makes it a little bit more fishy. But maybe the UFC just needs everyone to see (the UFC) doctor to begin with and go through their testing and make sure it's legitimate, then monitor it a little better. It's not too tough to monitor."
"I would welcome random drug testing for that and for everything. I think that would really help clean up the sport a lot and really give it a better [reputation]. When people look at it, it leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. So hopefully the UFC implements random drug testing."
Henderson's gotten the least amount of flak for testosterone use than any of the other outed users, but without a history of PED abuse it's given him a pass by many. Still, Henderson says he would've continued fighting had he not been allowed to use the treatment, it may have just affected his training.
"It was just a doctor's recommendation, basically, before I did anything," Henderson said of when he got on TRT. "I found out from the commission to make sure it was OK. This was a long time ago, and they said, 'Sure, no problem.' ...
"I'd still be competing [without it]. I'd probably be getting sick more and laying on the couch more. On the same token, if I wasn't fighting, I'd still be having to take it."
Penick's Analysis: Henderson being able to fight as effectively as he has at his age has allowed him to receive a lot of accolades, but considering it's been aided by testosterone use, it becomes a very questionable extension to his career. Is it right that a 42 year old has been allowed to regain levels of testosterone through TRT that naturally declined? Given he wasn't seen as a steroid abuser many believe that makes it fine. Some others don't, but his becomes a more complicated story because of its legality and the fact that he hasn't seemed to abuse it. Doesn't make it right, but it's more acceptable to people because he hasn't come across as a PED abuser during his career.
[Dan Henderson art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16001.shtml
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