Mar 31, 2009 - 8:55:59 PM By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The undercard for tomorrow night's UFC Fight Night 18 event in Nashville, TN, got a little bit smaller today, as the bout between Ryan Jensen and Steve Steinbeiss has been scrapped. The UFC's official statement is that it was due to a "medical approval issue regarding Jensen," and MMAWeekly.com reports that issue is Jensen's use of the drug Adderall.
Adderall is used primarily as a drug to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and it "affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control." According to the report, Jensen disclosed his use of the drug to the athletic commission and on their review the bout was canceled.
The report also brought up that it was a very similar situation that held TUF season 7 contestant Tim Credeur off of the Ultimate Fighter Finale. They cite NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer's reasoning being that "[Adderall] acts as a cardio-vascular restrictor and that's the main reason it's banned because it can cause athletes to have a cardiac episode with the stress they're under when they're in an athletic competition. Secondly, it can have a performance-enhancing effect as well."
Penick's Analysis: With what the drug does to the body it's not really a surprise that this situation would come up. I've had first hand experience with family members dealing with ADHD and the many drugs that come with that, and it's certainly in a fighter's best interest to be on those come fight time. That said, it's unclear here when Jensen last took his Adderall and it's simply an unfortunate situation for him, Steinbeiss and the fans. It's a fight that could have been a very nice bout for the undercard and it's too bad it won't take place. Now, as Credeur wasn't subject to any fines or suspensions I can't imagine Jensen would either, as it's not as if he fought the fight without disclosing this. Instead, it's just unfortunate and he'll need to bounce back and be ready to go here shortly down the line.
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I've been friends with Jensen for about 15 years. I was with him the whole
month of March in Albuquerque, helping with his training camp at Greg
Jackson's. Ryan has had ADD for as long as I can remember -- to be honest,
I'm not too keen on the use of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of
ADD/ADHD. I think better/different parenting, teaching, etc, could be very
beneficial for kids with ADD, but I've witnessed firsthand how much
medication does help, in the case of Jensen.
With that being said, Jensen has disclosed the use of his prescription
medication since day one. The Athletic Commissions in California, Ohio,
Nebraska, etc. did not have a problem with it, and obviously allowed him to
fight. Jensen had his pre-fight physical done in late February, where he
disclosed his Adderall prescription. On Wednesday, March 25th, he faxed
paperwork for his sponsors, etc, and again disclosed his prescription as
well. Nothing was said until he was about to weigh in, on Tuesday, March
31st.
The last time Jensen took the medication was the morning of Monday, March
30th -- and it was only 5 mg, which is a very small dose relative to what
others with ADD/ADHD take. It is not uncommon for individuals to take up
to 150 mg per day.
When he was about to go on the stage for the weigh-ins, the Tennessee AC
stopped him. They said that Adderall was a banned substance, and that he
could not fight. Former Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic
Commission, and current Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the UFC,
Marc Ratner, argued with Tennessee officials on Jensen's behalf. The
Tennessee AC said that the prescription medication Ritalin
(methylphenidate) was allowed, but not Adderall. Both drugs are FDA
approved for the treatment of ADD/ADHD, and act as Central Nervous System
stimulants. Their method of action is virtually identical.
The half life of Adderall is 11-13 hours, and given the dose Jensen was
taking, he would have in all likelihood passed the post-fight drug test.
In fact, Jensen volunteered to take a drug test on Tuesday, March 31st, to
prove that the medication was out of his system. The Tennessee AC would
not administer a drug test, and told him that he could not fight on
Wednesday, April 1st.
Like I stated, numerous state athletic commissions have allowed him to
compete, and he has had a legitimate prescription for years. He provided
the Tennessee AC documentation from his physician, as well as documentation
from other state commissions that had cleared him to fight in the past,
while using his prescribed medication.
The Tennessee AC dropped the ball on this. Jensen did everything expected
of him as a fighter -- he showed up in shape, and made weight. They're the
ones who should be scrutinized...
