Doping in French mixed martial arts has reached an “alarming level”, the head of the country's Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) warned on Thursday.
“This discipline has exceeded our alarming standards,” said AFLD Executive Director Jeremy Rubin.
The number of doping positive cases in French MMA in 2023 was 11%, a tenfold increase…
Doping in French mixed martial arts has reached an “alarming level”, the head of the country's Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) warned on Thursday.
“This discipline has exceeded our alarming standards,” said AFLD Executive Director Jeremy Rubin.
The number of doping positive cases in French mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2023 was 11%, ten times the usual rate.
“There's national MMA and it's not necessarily this organization that is of most concern, but rather the professional MMA circuit,” Rubin said at a news conference.
MMA has been legalized in France since 2020.
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“MMA needs more scrutiny given its financial issues,” Rubin added.
As with any combat sport, certain substances “can cause certain athletes to lose control and put their opponents at risk,” he noted.
“We are already starting to see progress. The introduction of more frequent controls and the associated education programmes is starting to bear fruit,” said AFLD president Beatrice Bourgeois.
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In addition to mixed martial arts (MMA), there were also high numbers of positive cases in kickboxing and weightlifting.
The AFLD conducted 12,000 doping tests in 2023, with the highest number of tests in rugby (positive rate 0.64%), cycling (0.86%), athletics (0.58%) and football (0.39%).
The AFLD will be heavily involved in doping testing at the Olympics in Paris with the support of international testing agencies.
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