Dan Henderson on PRIDE drug testing and UFC being too easy on Jon Jones

Despite being one of the focal points of years of debate over the now-banned practice of testosterone-replacement therapy, Dan Henderson has spent much of his career calling for better drug testing in MMA.

Now, in the twilight of Henderson’s (30-13 MMA, 7-7 UFC) career, the UFC has announced plans for a comprehensive drug testing program. Included in that program are plans for random out-of-competition testing, something that “Hendo” says he’s long wanted to see in the sport.

“I might have been saying it by myself, but I’ve been saying it for a few years now: They need to implement random, no-advanced-notice drug testing,” Henderson told MMAjunkie video partner Rick J. Lee. “That’ll clean everything up. Maybe not everything, but it’ll deter guys from thinking about doing illegal performance-enhancing drugs. If somebody can show up at your door at any time and tell you to pee in a cup or take a drug test, you’re not going to risk certain things because of that. And, I think it’ll just deter that.

“The way it was, I knew exactly when I was going to get drug tested. If I was one of these guys that did performance-enhancing drugs, it wouldn’t be a big deal. To know when I was going to get tested – do things prior to that to make sure that I’m getting a little bonus. It’s unfortunate that it’s taken that long to do, but I’m pretty happy that they finally started doing it.”

Some of the most impressive years of Henderson’s career were in PRIDE, where he held both the light heavyweight and middleweight championships simultaneously. The Japanese promotion was notoriously considered a bit of a “Wild West” in terms of drug use and testing.

According to Henderson, the lack of comprehensive drug testing was not only acknowledged, but existed as a protective measure for the promotion.

“PRIDE was what it is,” Henderson said. “I had asked about drug testing. They’d always drug test you over there, but it wasn’t for that. It was more for recreational drugs, cocaine and stuff like that. It was more for show. They made a comment that they’d probably only had a couple fighters, me and – I think they said, (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira would be the only fighters they had left if that was the case. Who knows what everybody was doing? All I know is that I’m happy they’re doing it now.”

Henderson and UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones have a rocky history. The two were set to meet at UFC 151 before Henderson was forced out of the bout with a knee injury. The fight was never rescheduled, but the two have traded barbs in the media in the years since.

Jones tested positive for cocaine ahead of UFC 182, and Henderson hasn’t shied away from criticism of the champ. He now also thinks that the UFC bares some responsibility for not laying down the law.

“Personally, Jon Jones – I’m an advocate of MMA and representing the sport well,” Henderson said. “When you don’t do that, that’s when I’m not really a big fan of you or that. Jon is, being young or whatever it was, has made some poor decisions, and when he’s in the spotlight of the UFC champ, I think you’re subjected to higher standards. You need to follow through with that for yourself and make sure that you’re doing everything to publicly portray the UFC and the sport well. When you don’t do that, that’s when I have a problem.

“I think there should have been much higher consequences for that. It doesn’t teach anyone a lesson. It doesn’t have the fans and public respect the UFC when they don’t lay the hammer down a little bit. The UFC still can get behind him and push him to clean up, but there still needed to be some sort of reprimand also. Not just, ‘Hey, we’re behind you all the way. We’re glad you’re getting help. We’re glad you went to rehab for 10 hours or four hours or whatever it was.’ That’s all it was, and I think that there could have been more.”

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