5 UFC fighters who were accused of PED use without any evidence
PEDs have been a problem in the UFC for many years now, with numerous fighters, including reigning UFC champions, testing positive for banned substances and being suspended from action.
While many UFC stars have tested positive for PEDs, plenty of others have never tested positive – but have still been victim to baseless accusations of drug use.
While online UFC fans are frequently guilty of these accusations, it’s often fellow UFC fighters who end up slinging the mud at their rivals in order to provoke them.
With this considered, here are five UFC fighters who were accused of using PEDs without any evidence to back it up.
#5. Kamaru Usman – current UFC welterweight champion
Current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is arguably the most dominant fighter on the planet right now. He’s defeated the likes of Tyron Woodley, Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns. He has put together one of the longest win streaks in UFC history with 14 victories in a row.
However, Usman’s incredible grappling game and freakish strength have meant that his fellow UFC fighters – usually his most bitter rivals – have often accused him of using a variety of PEDs, from anabolic steroids to EPO.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has never tested positive, nor has there ever been any evidence to link him to drug use during his MMA career.
Usman has been tested on 51 occasions by USADA, suggesting that if he were using any illicit substances, he’d have been caught by this point.
Still, that hasn’t stopped him from being accused of PED abuse. Conor McGregor, for instance, labeled Usman a “juice head” in a recent Twitter rant, despite not fighting in the same division as ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ on a regular basis.
But it’s Usman’s rival Colby Covington – who was knocked out by the Nigerian at UFC 245 in 2019 – who has been the biggest accuser.
Covington has claimed that Usman has been “doing steroids his whole career,” and has also labeled him the 'CEO of EPO' on numerous occasions.
The two welterweight rivals are set to fight again in the near future. So despite Usman’s apparent innocence, it’s likely we’ll hear many more accusations in the coming months.