IMMAF: Alexander Gustafsson tested by Swedish WADA-approved org, not USADA

Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones

UFC light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson was not drug tested out-of-competition in his native Sweden by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, as was widely reported.

Instead, it was conducted by the Swedish Sports Confederation, a national anti-doping organization (NADO) that adheres to the WADA code, a rep for the IMMAF told MMAjunkie on Thursday.

Izzy Carnwath, the IMMAF’s Director of Communications, wrote in an email that the Swedish Sports Federation initiated the testing “independently” and was not funded by the UFC, which previously has bankrolled out-of-competition testing for its fighters, but “by the Swedish government via the Swedish Sports Confederation.”

An email to the director of the SSC was not immediately returned.

Gustafsson (16-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) announced Monday on Facebook that reps from USADA showed up at his gym and tested him, presumably, for his upcoming fight at UFC on FOX 14 against Anthony Johnson (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC). The fight headlines the event on Jan. 24 at Tele2Arena in Stockholm and it’s main card airs live on FOX.

“I want my sport to be clean, so everyone compete under the same terms,” Gustafsson wrote on Facebook. “I would like to request that the same tests applies to my competitor Rumble Johnson. I want us both to show the world that we are clean top athletes competing in the UFC on equal terms.”

Johnson welcomed out-of-competition testing in a response to Gustafsson’s post. The winner of their fight is expected to get a title shot against champ Jon Jones.

The IMMAF, whose technical committee is chaired by UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner, represents itself as the international democratic governing body for the sport of MMA and, among other duties, regulates UFC events held in Sweden and other international territories via its affiliates.

For more on UFC on FOX 14, check out the UFC Rumors of the site.