Carlos Condit on TRT: “It’s Abused and Misused”

Testosterone replacement therapy is a controversial topic in mixed martial arts.  Several fighters have requested and obtained therapeutic-use exemptions from athletic commissions to use the therapy, but UFC welterweight contender Carlos Condit thinks TRT is being abused and misused by athletes.

The list of fighters that have used the controversial therapy is growing.  The list includes some of the biggest names in the sport: Dan Henderson, Frank Mir, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Nate Marquardt have all used it, among others.

“I think that some people may have legitimate reasons for doing TRT, but I think it’s definitely abused and misused so it’s really a slippery slope,” said Condit during a live chat on UFC.com on Wednesday

UFC president Dana White recently took a hardline stance on TRT use in the UFC.

“What guys are doing, I believe guys are doing, is jacking up this stuff through the roof through their entire training camp then getting back down to normal levels right before the fight, which is cheating.  I hate it.  I don’t like it.  I’m going to fight it.  And if you are using TRT in the UFC, we’re going to start testing the (expletive) out of you, through your entire camp,” said White.

Marijuana use is prevalent in professional sports in general, including mixed martial arts.

Following Condit’s UFC 143 win over Nick Diaz, Diaz tested positive to marijuana for the second time in his career and was suspended for a year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.  Mathew Riddle recently tested positive for marijuana for the second time inside of a year following his win over Che Mills at UFC on Fuel TV 7: Barao vs. McDonald on Feb. 16, and was released by the UFC.

Condit may not agree with the rule forbidding marijuana use, but says the rules are the rules and have to be followed.

“As far as marijuana, I think that it’s not necessarily a performance-enhancing drug unless you’re high while you’re fighting. But the rules are the rules right now and you have to follow that, but I don’t necessarily agree with the rule,” he said.

Condit takes on Johny Hendricks at UFC 158: St-Pierre vs. Diaz on Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.