Marlon “Chito” Vera (21-8 MMA) faced and defeated top bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz (20-8 MMA) at UFC 292. He was recently featured on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk podcast and on about a variety of topics.
One thing that has caught the attention of fans was his opinion about drug testing in the UFC. According to Marlon Vera, there exists a “drug problem” in the promotion. As long as the fighters have the cash to pay for it, the bantamweight contender claims that cheating United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug tests is absurdly simple for them.
“You need like 20 grand. Call a good doctor, boom.” said Marlon Vera. He also explained that a lot of fighters are doing it with the help of doctors who help them clear USADA’s drug tests. He also criticized the agency’s timings for performing the tests. USADA generally visits to collect the samples from 6 in the morning to 6 PM. ‘Chito’ feels things would be different if they chose to visit at any part of the day.
Chito Vera says USADA has a window of 6AM to 6PM.
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He further expressed that a fighter may conveniently take a vacation and use prohibited substances there and can comfortably return home without anything inside them. “So, I can go to the f*cking mountains in Ecuador and tell them I’m hunting. I’ll be doing EPO and sh*t. By the time I come back, there’s nothing in me, added the UFC bantamweight.
This also surprised the host, as the UFC is the biggest stage in the world of MMA and is known for its intolerance towards steroids and performance-enhancing drugs and this is also why it partnered with the USADA. However, Vera’s claims are rather astonishing and eye-opening for many.
Marlon Vera says he would rather die than cheat
After expressing his concerns relating to drug usage on the world’s biggest MMA promotion, Marlon Vera confirmed that he is not the one who would use substances to win a fight. “I’d rather die before I cheat, bro,” said the 30-year-old Ecuadorian fighter. Chito Vera has been active in the UFC for about nine years and has not faced any drug problems to date.
Since the summer of 2015, the 135-pound fighter has undergone 53 drug tests and has passed them all easily. However, this was not the case with many other fighters who had to pay for the adverse result of their test. TJ Dillashaw, who also competes in the bantamweight division of the UFC, just like Vera, had to surrender his UFC title after he failed his drug test.
Many believe that Marlon Vera is next in line for the UFC bantamweight title shot against the new champion, Sean O’Malley. The two have an old rivalry, as Vera is the only fighter to defeat Sean O’Malley in the UFC. What do you think about Marlon Vera’s recent comments? Do tell us in the comments!
