UFC
Johny Hendricks still doesn't understand WADA and VADA, rants about drug testing into UFC 167
Nov 13, 2013 - 9:30:14 PM Johny Hendricks still doesn't understand WADA and VADA, rants about drug testing into UFC 167

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Johny Hendricks remains confused about drug testing in his own sport into UFC 167, as he got into rant mode against a Canadian reporter on Wednesday when the supplemental drug testing issue was brought up again.

"I'm not going to lay my life into [St-Pierre's] hands," Hendricks said (via MMAFighting.com). "I said WADA. WADA is so much tougher than VADA. They don't do drug tests where he just 'randomly' gets tested the first time a camera is around. WADA, you're scheduled for 3-4 months, and they have to know exactly where you're at. And if you don't show up within an hour of when they call you, you fail."

"The last six years, he's been accused. It's an accusation. Word of mouth is very powerful. He knows that, I know that. If I sit there and I know, if I win this belt, I will definitely go to WADA, because I can afford it. If we're going to drug test, let's do the hardest, toughest drug testing out there. That's WADA. They do everything. They hold your sample for 12 years. If any new testing comes out, in that testing, they retest it. If you fail, you're dirty. ... If you want to be on it, be on it. If you're not, who cares? Don't drag my name through the mud because the last six years you were scared to do it."

Hendricks is lacking some very fundamental comprehension of what WADA and VADA do. The World Anti-Doping Agency doesn't do any of their own drug testing. They set the protocols, the certify the labs, the testers, the techniques, etc. used by others in the process of conducting said tests.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission would have used WADA standards to conduct separate testing, but here's where Hendricks' tirade is very, very wrong: VADA uses WADA standards.

The Volunteer Anti-Doping Association does their testing based on WADA standards, with accredited testers, labs, etc. Georges St-Pierre went through the very random testing Hendricks believes is legit, where he had to let them know where he was at all times to be subjected to those tests. He went through the process three separate times, and passed his tests. But the challenger wouldn't stop that from making his own veiled accusations.

"I don't care if he passes," Hendricks continued. "I don't care if he took the drug test. I want him to be the best GSP he can be. If that's on something, that's on something. If that's not, that's not. I'm not sweating. I don't care. Have you seen him in the last two months? He's shrunk a little bit, hasn't he? I don't know. I haven't seen the guy. I saw him on the press tour. The only thing I know is, when I step into the Octagon, do I still have a six-pack? Check out my pictures. I'm fat. I love it. I'm a fat dude. Nobody gains 15 pounds [of muscle]. I'm pretty shredded at 170. I have very little body fat. ... but when I step into the Octagon, I looked at a picture when I was in with [Carlos] Condit, I said 'dude, you're fat.' You can't see the bottom two abs. You don't gain 15-20 pounds and still keep that form."

"What I don't have respect for is implying that I'm on steroids when he knows nothing about me. Has anyone accused me of steroids? Has anyone accused me of being on drugs. Hell no. ... I've been clean my whole entire life, and all of a sudden, some dude who doesn't know me, he's been accused the last six years of being on something, he picks me and says I must be on something because I don't want to follow the Pony train to VADA."

Penick's Analysis: Hendricks should stop spouting off on things he clearly doesn't have a handle on, and someone should inform him what actually happens with VADA and what WADA actually does. And to make his comments about how St-Pierre's body looks while getting upset about someone making any comments about him is hypocritical on its face. The lack of knowledge from his team on this drug testing subject along with the accusations they want to throw out at St-Pierre and VADA is something that could really turn people against him the more he spouts off about it.