UFC
Jon Jones: Chael Sonnen's testosterone replacement therapy use is "bullcrap"
Oct 18, 2012 - 3:30:50 PM Jon Jones: Chael Sonnen's testosterone replacement therapy use is "bullcrap"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Chael Sonnen's ability to trash talk himself into situations certainly played a part in him getting a coaching gig opposite Jon Jones on The Ultimate Fighter. But he won't be the only one firing shots in the verbal side of this feud.

That became apparent during a media conference call on Wednesday for the new season of the show, which begins filming this month and will air on FX beginning in January. Sonnen made a comment during the call that he was in the best shape of any fighter that Jones has faced in the Octagon, to which Jon asked, "is that on TRT or off TRT?"

Sonnen has been one of the most high-profile cases of a fighter undergoing testosterone replacement therapy, a treatment which has seen increasing acceptance by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and in turn the UFC. But fighters who aren't taking substances like it are not happy about its prevalence in the sport, and Jones is one of them. Asked later in the call to expand upon his thoughts on TRT, Jones let loose with an honest answer.

"I think it's terrible," Jones said flatly (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com). "I think it's absolutely terrible if you're going to consider yourself an athlete. TRT would be perfect for Chael Sonnen if he wasn't competing in one of the toughest sports in the world. I think Chael Sonnen made tons of money when he was a young guy, and now he's an older guy. And now just to be able to take a drug and super-enhance yourself back to where you were in your 20′s is bull.

"Right now I'm 25, I'm sure I'm not as giddy and happy-go-lucky as I was when I was 20, so if I take a drug at my 25-year-old age and have the energy of a 20-year-old, it just wouldn't be fair. Everyone would hate me if I did it, but Chael Sonnen gets to do it? I think it's bullcrap."

Penick's Analysis: Jones is far from alone in these feelings, and it's an issue that isn't going away anytime soon as more fighters are being allowed to utilize the treatment not just by the commissions, but on unregulated events that the UFC runs overseas. Many believe it's simply a legalized way to enhance your performance in training, though Sonnen and other TRT proponents will claim they have serious medical conditions for which they need the treatment. It's very murky waters when it comes to TRT, and Jones taking shots at Sonnen on that front will probably not reflect that well on the UFC and the way they essentially turn a blind eye to it under the commissions.

[Jon Jones art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]