Michael Bisping recalls the time when USADA showed up at his door at 5 AM for a drug test
Michael Bisping has had an incredible career in the UFC, one where he overcame adversity time and time again to finally clinch the middleweight title. From being a contestant on 'The Ultimate Fighter' to being a coach on the same and fighting against some of the biggest names in the sport, Michael Bisping has truly accomplished a lot in his career.
No achievement was bigger than him stepping in on 17 days-notice to face Luke Rockhold for the middleweight championship and winning via knockout in the first round. He became the first British champion in the UFC.
A close second for his career's highlights would perhaps be his unanimous decision victory over UFC legend Anderson Silva. He is now a commentator and fight-analyst for the UFC's Fight Night events, even though fans have insisted on multiple occasions that he should be calling PPV events as well.
While Anderson Silva has had problems with USADA regarding banned substances found in his samples, Michael Bisping has never had such an issue. USADA is famous for their random drug tests, which could happen at any time of the year for an active UFC fighter. Someone recently asked Michael Bisping on Twitter if USADA ever showed up at his doorstep at an annoying time. This was Bisping's reply:
Did Michael Bisping ever test positive for banned substances?
Absolutely not. Michael Bisping is one of a handful of fighters from his era who can proudly claim to have never been convicted of using performance enhancers. The only time 'The Count' knowingly tried to escape authorities was when he refused to see a doctor after his fight with Vitor Belfort.
A head kick from Belfort caused a retinal detachment for Bisping and the fear of not being able to compete prevented him from seeking appropriate medical help. Michael Bisping recently revealed the glass eye on his podcast and what he showed was straight out of a movie.
Has USADA done random tests on fighters before?
In September 2020, after Conor McGregor announced one of his many retirements, USADA paid him an unsuspecting visit. McGregor was preparing to compete in the Marathon Endurance Race alongside former Olympian Princess Charlene of Monaco.
USADA paid him a random visit on his yacht before the scheduled race, much to McGregor's surprise.
While they may go about business in an unorthodox manner, USADA is one of the best testing agencies for professional sports in the world. Here's hoping they give us more hilarious stories from fighters in the future.