Dustin Poirier is one of the most respected UFC fighters currently. Rarely do you see the lightweight veteran indulged in any kind of beef or feud. Even when he is involved in one, he knows how to deal with it respectfully. One more reason why the former UFC interim champion has earned so much respect is his honesty towards the sport.
The UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance, Jeff Novitzky, on July 27, congratulated Dustin Poirier for completing 75 clean tests. The UFC has made it a point to celebrate the milestones when it comes to anti-doping clean tests. So, on passing 50 clean tests, the fighter gets a jacket. On 75, they get a pin for the achievement.
So, Poirier received his ’75’ pin from Novitzky at a media event for UFC 291. Poirier will take on Justin Gaethje for the BMF title clash at UFC 291 on July 29th in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dustin Poirier completes 75 clean USADA tests to reach a new milestone
Jeff Novitzky, who oversees the anti-doping program at UFC, also confirmed that The ‘Diamond’ now has the most number of clean tests among active fighters. Before him former UFC champion Amanda Nunes was at the top of the list but since she has retired, Poirier has taken the lead.
Dustin Poirier gets his 75 pin#UFC pic.twitter.com/BfrCsvQaan
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) July 27, 2023
Poirier was also lauded for his attention to detail about the supplements he is using. Jeff Novitzky was of the opinion that this was the reason why he was so successful in the sport.
While championships and title defenses are really important, milestones like these matter too when we talk about a fighter’s legacy. Dustin Poirier is not just one of the greatest lightweight fighters in the UFC, he is also a true ambassador of the sport.
Who is the most tested fighter in the UFC?
The UFC recognizes the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) as their official independent anti-doping agency. USADA takes tests of different athletes randomly. According to USADA’s database, the most tested UFC fighter in 2022 was former light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka.
He was tested as many as 64 times and it was the highest number of tests not only amongst the UFC fighters but amongst athletes across all sports in 2022. The UFC fighter with the second-most tests in the list was middleweight fighter Paulo Costa. He was tested 20 times. As of now, Costa has been tested 16 times in 2023 already.
Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was also on the list, having been tested 15 times by USADA.
Back in 2019, UFC champion Jon Jones was tested for a total of 42 times, a number that surprised people. However, Prochazka has been tested for a significantly higher number.
As USADA does not publicly reveal their testing methods, it is unclear why Jiri Prochazka was targeted by the agency.
