All About UFC’s New Anti-Doping Partner ‘Drug Free Sport International’, and Ex-FBI Agent George Piro

The ongoing spat between UFC and USADA has grabbed the spotlight in the MMA sphere. In a surprising turn of events, the UFC recently announced that the promotion would be parting ways with the anti-doping agency despite positive feelings around a contract extension earlier this year. The curtains will be up for USADA’s partnership with MMA’s premier promotion at the end of 2023. However, it seems the organization already has a replacement in mind to continue its anti-doping policy.

According to the latest reports, UFC will partner up with ‘Drug Free Sport International’ as their new testing body in 2024. DFSI is a popular name in the US sports hemisphere and handles several major sports leagues. UFC execs Hunter Campbell and Jeff Novitzky recently addressed the media regarding USADA’s scathing response to the announcement about the end of their deal. During this event, they announced their new plans with DFSI while also retaliating against USADA’s allegations.

Drug Free Sport International to partner up with UFC

Despite Campbell doing the announcement part of this upcoming tie-up of the UFC with DFSI, it was Novitzky who mostly talked about it. However, it was MMA journalist Ariel Helwani’s tweet that displayed the iterations of the USADA CEO, Travis Tygart.

Tygart stated that the partnership had become “untenable”. He further brought up how the noted UFC color commentator Joe Rogan bashed USADA following their complications with Conor McGregor.

He addressed Rogan as “a UFC commentator” as shown by Helwani’s ‘X’ update. But, Campbell didn’t take this pretty well and revealed that a legal letter had been sent to USADA, demanding an apology and retraction of its statement.

Novitzky labeled the DFSI’s overall process as a “smarter, more efficient, more effective technology and more convenient for the athletes”. The new program with Drug Free Sport International will see ex-FBI agent George Piro as its independent administrator. He famously led the team that interrogated Saddam Hussein. With over 23 years of service in the FBI, Piro was also a Supervisor in the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Additionally, he is also an IBJJF World No-Gi champion.

Campbell also trusted Piro’s “sterling reputation for having integrity, credibility and respect” and handed him the responsibility of keeping the UFC free of drugs now. Only time will tell how things progress, but one thing is for sure- the UFC and USADA are on a collision course by the look of things.

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UFC-USADA split followed up by Hunter Campbell’s announcement

The noted MMA coverage personality, Aaron Bronsteter, put out the UFC-USADA split-up news in public with an update on ‘X’. He said that Campbell and Novitzky talked to the media and revealed that the UFC would be severing its ties with the USADA at the end of this year. Ariel Helwani also posted an update on ‘X’ about the parting of ways and Travis Tygart’s response to it.

On the other hand, Bronsteter’s update also said that Campbell bashed the USADA for treating McGregor’s case differently than others. On the other hand, Jeff Novitzky started off on a positive note revealing that he was “very happy with how the [USADA] program has gone and that they have had less than a 1% positivity rate.”

But Bronsteter also put out a number of iterations from Novitzky in the comments of the post that presented an exactly opposite narrative. However, it was Dana White’s neighbor Campbell, who announced that the UFC would be teaming up with an all-new organization to conduct their drug tests. How do you think they will fare under the new program? What do you make of the situation between the two organizations? Let us know in the comments.

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