USADA Sample count: How many times have Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez been tested ahead of UFC Vegas 83?
Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez have been steadily drug-tested over the last few years.
Data accrued over six years on both combatants of this weekend's headlining UFC Fight Night card sees the former getting tested a handful of times more than the latter.
The December 9 bantamweight contest looms ever closer, and curiously enough, so does the end of UFC's USADA drug testing. On January 1, 2024, Drug Free Sport International will take over prior USADA duties in the new year and for the foreseeable future, according to UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky.
The drug testing data on Yadong versus Gutierrez, relayed by X account @jedigoodman, stated:
"As of November 30, USADA Sample Count & Test Session Count for the #UFCVegas83 main event fighters: Yadong Song Total Sample Count: 38 Total Test Session Count: 33 2023: 9/7 2022: 8/7 2021: 6/5 2020: 6/5 2019: 5/5 2018: 4/4."
"Christopher Gutierrez Total Sample Count: 33 Total Test Session Count: 32 2023: 7/7 2022: 5/5 2021: 6/6 2020: 6/6 2019: 8/7 2018: 1/1"
Check out the drug test numbers on the next set of UFC main eventers below:
Song Yadong and his road to this UFC headliner
Song Yadong is on quite the roll after celebrating ten years in the sport earlier this year, with his MMA debut coming in May 2013.
'Kung Fu Kid' honed his skills on circuits like WLF and Kunlun Fight MMA early on with notable wins over former ONE Championship titleholder Ok Rae Yoon and fellow current UFC star Alatengheili. Yadong debuted in the UFC in November 2017 with twelve octagon outings overall, with one draw, two losses, and nine wins so far.
Song Yadong enters the cage here for his 30th professional mixed martial arts bout. Yadong has collected significant wins in the UFC over names like former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes, Ricky Simon, upcoming bantamweight title challenger Marlon 'Chito' Vera, Casey Kenney, and Julio Arce, to name a few.