Earlier reports hinted that Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal will contest the result of his positive steroid test. However, recent interviews showed that Lawal will not refute the test result. Instead he will just explain to the commission the possible cause of his failed test and how the steroid got into his system. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) already scheduled a meeting with the MMA fighter next week to hear the case.

Lawal showed an impressive performance against Lorenz Larkin at the Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine event. He won via TKO. The top light heavyweight contender, however, will be facing a tougher situation when he faces the state athletic commission. Fighters failing a steroid test usually receive 1 year suspension from the sports plus fines and forfeiture of the title. His goal to be back in the light heavyweight division of the Strikeforce is becoming nil, for now.

HD Net Inside MMA Interview with Lawal:

Lawal Blamed Supplement from Popular Health Nutrition Store

In an interview with Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour, King Mo Lawal and his manager admits that the fighter took a supplement prior to his fight last January 7. Lawal said that he bought the supplement S-Mass Lean Gainer by Rock Solid at a famous health nutrition store in California. He explained that he started to take the supplement sometime in April 2010 but used the supplement once in a while to help him recuperate. The supplement was recommended by an employee of the health store when he asked about a supplement that could help his muscles during weight training.

The Strikeforce fighter insisted that the label of the supplement does not mention it contains anabolic steroids. The fact that it was sold at a supplement store, he believed that it does not contain steroid of any kind. “When I went to Max Muscle, I figured you can’t buy steroids at a Max Muscle,” he said. “When I looked at the bottle, it just had a bunch of numbers on it. It had the ingredients. I didn’t see anything that looked illegal on the bottle, to be honest with you,” Lawal told Helwani. He also said that he never heard of the steroid drostanolone until the press asked him about the positive test.

The supplement S-Mass Lean Gainer was already pulled out from the shelves in mid-2011 according to his manager Mike Kogan. It was removed from the market because of its potent steroid content, Methyldrostanolone. Lawal admitted that he did not make any research on the said supplement.

Lawal Will Convince NSAC that He is a Victim of Tainted Supplement

Based from the interviews, Lawal and his camp will convince the athletic commission that he is just a victim of a tainted supplement. Since they already confirmed that there will be no appeal, the hearing next week will just probably focus on his explanation why he failed the steroid test. “What we will file is an answer, and an answer would involve affirming their test results and providing our findings and our explanation,” said Kogan.

One of the possible issues that will be raised by Lawal is the mislabeled supplement. When he purchased the product, it was not illegal and was not marketed as an anabolic steroid. “We had no intent of taking any illegal substance and we believe we have enough evidence and enough character references to make that point very clear,” Kogan said.

I’m Clean

King Mo insisted that he is clean and never tried to cheat just to win the game. His clean record from his collegiate and international wrestling competitions is a proof that he is not a cheater. “For me, the best way to get an advantage over your opponent is through hard work, preparation, and your skills,” said King Mo. He also said that game-planning is the best way to beat an opponent.

However, under the existing rules, fighters who are caught using banned substances will be held responsible. This is regardless if they took it inadvertently or a victim of tainted supplements.

Lawal knows that people will accuse him of doping. But the MMA fighter is still optimistic that he will be able to get out of this mess because he’s telling the truth.

The effort to curb abuse of prescription medication is now in effect in New Jersey. People who are using illegally obtained prescriptions for painkillers, steroids, and HGH can be easily detected with the new drug monitoring program. The program would surely boost the ability of the state in recognizing prescription drug abusers systematically in a shorter span of time.

The goal of New Jersey to restrain those people who suffer from prescription drug addiction started five years ago after passing a law that would regulate the tracking of prescription drug abuse. It was also considered as helpful tool in possible apprehension of drug dealers.

The Growing Concern for Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drugs are more prone to be abused by Americans than the illicit street drugs like cocaine, hallucinogens and heroin. Cases of untimely deaths that are either due to the patient taking too large a dose or mixing different types of medication without medical supervision is becoming a wide concern. Prescription drugs have been found to be more dangerous than street drugs, mainly because users get a false sense of safety since doctors routinely prescribe them for patients.

The implementation of the program was hastened by the alleged involvement of several NJ law enforcement officers in the use of performance enhancing drugs like steroids. Adopting a database monitoring program would likely put halt in the widespread abuse of steroids and human growth hormone by police and firefighters in the state. It would also address the growing trend of young adults being involved in prescription drug abuse.

Database Aims to Spot Drug Abusers

The State Attorney General Jeff Chiesa told the media that one of the recent accomplishment of the program is tracking down a person who allegedly obtained a four-month supply of oxycodone and methadone to three New Jersey pharmacies on 14 separate occasions by presenting illegally acquired prescriptions.

The database aims to help authorities in New Jersey track any prescription of unusually large amount of narcotic, steroids, pain killers and other prescription drugs. Thomas Calcagni, the director of the state Division of Consumer Affairs also announced that the database would facilitate the tracking of all prescription filled in the state of New Jersey and into the state of New Jersey by pharmacies that ship into the state.

Since September 1 up to date, there had been more than 4 million prescriptions entered into the database. Information came from almost 2, 000 pharmacies throughout the state. Doctors and pharmacist would be able to access detailed patient information and mail-order operations on prescriptions for sedatives, painkillers, stimulants and steroids. Despite the fact that New Jersey came late in implementing this program Calagni claimed that better provisions were included after learning from those of other states.

Inclusion of Human Growth Hormone

Part of the improvement was the inclusion of tracking of human growth hormone prescription. HGH is used for certain medical conditions but its use by bodybuilders and professional athletes is now becoming a trend. Law enforcement agencies were also given authority to access the information after obtaining a court order declaring probable cause. This is considered a higher standard as compared with the programs of other states which only allows searches on the database if it is related to an active investigation.

Calagni further stressed that they will be more vigilant in monitoring drug abuse in the state. Any sign of abuse will be monitored by Calagni’s division warning doctors when patients exceed certain threshold. They will not wait for doctors and pharmacist to contact law enforcement agencies on any suspicious activity of a certain patient.

The Optimum Technology of Columbus, Ohio, was chosen to supervise the database that cost $244,000 to set up and about $177,000 a year to maintain. A quite costly program but nonetheless authorities claims that they will save much more by identifying drug abusers and saving lives altered by prescription drug abuse.

Dietary supplements can be purchased on any health store without prescription. It can also be sold without the need for strict regulation from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). However, there are many cases where a dietary supplement contains synthetic anabolic steroids. Whether this is a deliberate act or unintentional, supplement companies are liable under existing laws.

Last week, three supplement companies were held liable for selling adulterated dietary supplements. Their products were found to have anabolic steroid ingredients. LawFuel website reported that supplement company Axis Lab, LLC was found guilty of manufacturing and selling tainted dietary supplement. The company which is based in Centennial, Colorado was sentenced a year of probation, forfeiture of $107,000, and required to pay a fine amounting to $50,000.

Monster Caps Contain Steroids

According to the FDA Criminal Investigation Unit, the company engaged in manufacturing, labeling, selling and shipping of certain food products. However, one of their supplement, “Monster Caps” allegedly contains a potent anabolic steroid. Monster Caps was sold as a weight loss supplement and also used to develop muscle mass. The inclusion of steroids in the ingredient of the said supplement makes it a regulated drug. It requires approval of the FDA and a prescription is required before it can be sold to patients.

Monster Caps was available for sale on the internet from 2008 to 2009. Many of its users came from the various states in the country and distributed through US Postal Mail or UPS, the report said. FDA Special agent Patrick J. Holland said that they will continue to investigate companies who are selling steroids but masked as a dietary supplement. “Consumers need to have confidence that products claiming to be ‘dietary supplements’ are not, in fact, unapproved new drugs. We will aggressively investigate those who place profits over public health by marketing purported dietary supplements that contain drug substances such as synthetic anabolic steroids,” Holland said.

2 Companies Admitted Selling Supplements with Steroids

Meanwhile, US District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also issued 1-year probation and fined two supplement companies from California and Michigan. The company DDC, LLC and R & D Holdings were fined $125,000 and $21,000 respectively. It represents the total revenue that they generated from selling the tainted supplements. The IdahoStatesman website did not disclosed the brands of the tainted dietary supplements sold by these companies and the particular type of steroids found in these supplements.

The representatives of the two companies pleaded guilty last year. They admitted that the company is responsible for the introduction and delivery into interstate commerce drugs that were misbranded with the intent to defraud. In addition to the huge fine, the judge also required the DDC, LLC to implement strict testing procedures to ensure that their products will not be tainted with anabolic steroids. They have to do this for 5 years.

Meanwhile, the R & D Holdings already ceased its production of supplements according to the prosecution. The company was also banned from manufacturing supplements for the next 2 years as part of the probation.

These two companies allegedly supplied an Idaho-based supplement distributor who has a capacity to sell supplements around the country. Though it was not mentioned in the court documents, the IdahoStatesman infer that it could be the popular bodybuilding site raided by the authorities in 2009. The Meridian-based bodybuilding site sold bodybuilding supplements online but was investigated by the authorities due to reports that they sell anabolic steroids. Later, the company agreed to pull out at least 65 supplements which purportedly contain anabolic steroids.

As the host country for the 2012 Olympics, the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) works hard to clean their roster of athletes competing in the Olympiad. They want to show to other participating countries that they will not tolerate cheaters. One way to do that is to impose stiff sanctions to erring athletes even if these athletes can provide gold for the United Kingdom.

Just recently, the UKAD announced that they handed the maximum sanction to one of the country’s top sprinter in the women’s division. A four-year ban was given to sprinter Bernice Wilson after anti-doping officials found two types of anabolic steroids in her system last June. Wilson represented the country in the European indoor championships in Paris and had a best time of 7.25 sec. in 60 meters. It was in the Bedford International Games where she tested positive for the steroid clenbuterol and testosterone.

Wilson Lost the Appeal

Bernice Wilson appealed but the National Anti-Doping Panel hearing her case ruled that she must be given a 4-year ban from the sport. The independent panel even castigated her for blaming other people and for not being truthful in her arguments. In its decision, the panel ruled that Wilson’s arguments were entirely without merit. She was even ordered to pay the UKAD for the costs incurred in the appeal proceedings.

Under the WADA Code, first time offenders are usually given 2-year suspension from the sport. However, in cases where an athlete was caught using more than two banned substances, the suspension can reach up to 4 years. It also states that the maximum penalty can also be given if the offending party uses deceptive conduct to get away with his or her doping.

BOA and UKAD Stands Firm on the 4-Year Ban

According to Andy Parkinson, the chief executive of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the case of Bernice Wilson will serve as a strong message to doping athletes. “It gives clean athletes the confidence we’re working hard on their behalf, within the framework of the World Anti-Doping Code, to protect their right to compete in doping free sport,” he said. Cheating in sports is betrayal which should not be tolerated. “We’ve successfully argued for a four-year ban which demonstrates UK Anti-Doping always seeks robust sanctions against athletes who look to cheat the system and betray those around them,” added Parkinson.

On the other hand, the chairman of the British Olympic Association Lord Moynihan also issued a statement regarding the maximum sanction on Wilson. “The message here is very clear: if you cheat, you should expect to be caught and sanctioned,” said Moynihan. He also added that there is absolutely no room in Olympic and international sport for the use of banned substances. “The rules are in place to protect the integrity of sport and the health and well-being of the overwhelming majority of athletes who choose to compete clean,” he added.

Hi-Tech Olympic Lab Unveiled

The UK Olympic organizers also unveiled their state of the art laboratory to be used during the 2012 London Olympics. The laboratory which is based in Harlow, Essex can test up to 6,250 blood and urine samples during the event. It will be manned by 150 scientists and being supported by GlaxoSmithKline, a leading pharma company. Participants in the summer Olympics will be tested randomly, in and out of competition.

Former Dopers Out of Olympics

Former athletes who already served their doping suspension will be facing a hard time getting their shot at the Olympics. The BOA is determined to block them from participating. A hearing on this issue will be held on March at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Cyclist David Millar and sprinter Dwain Chambers may not be able to represent their country because of steroid related suspension. “We are confident we can win the case. We are standing by the declared desire of the vast majority of British athletes to see serious drugs cheats are not allowed to participate in the Olympics,” Moynihan told the media.

Another case of harsh punishment was given to shot putter Carl Fletcher last month. The athlete was involved in drug trafficking which include 16 types of class C substances. He distributed various types of anabolic steroids like trenbolone and testosterone. He was also caught selling human growth hormone. Fletcher was sentenced to nine month in prison plus a 4-year ban from the sport.

The UFC and Strikeforce know that they have to act immediately to avert further damage to their image. After the suspension of two top contenders in the Strikeforce for steroids use, the parent company of the two major MMA promotions in the country decided to introduce a new policy requiring new fighters to be tested for anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances.

Top Contender’s Recent Positive Steroid Test

The women’s 145 weight division champion Cris Cyborg Santos was suspended by the CSAC last week for failing a steroid test. But after a few days, another fighter in Strikeforce followed her fate. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal also failed a steroid test conducted by the NSAC during his fight last January 7. He tested positive for drostanolone while Cyborg took stanozolol.

These fighters denied that they are doping. Instead, Cyborg blamed a dietary supplement while King Mo will be filing an appeal to contest the positive test result. But whatever reason they have, people will always believe that the anabolic steroids found in their systems were intentionally ingested to help them become stronger and better fighters in the octagon.

New Fighters will be subjected to Steroid Tests

In the press release issued by Zuffa, new fighters under the UFC and Strikeforce will now be required to undergo steroid testing before they can be signed in. Fighters participating in the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter” are also included in the new directive. This new anti-doping policy will be implemented retroactively. The MMA promotion company dated its new drug testing policy January 1, 2012.

According to Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, they are taking the issue seriously and committed to the health and safety of their athletes. “We already work closely with athletic commissions to protect our athletes and now we’re taking it one step further. We’re going to test any potential UFC or Strikeforce fighter before finalizing their contract. This shows that we don’t want performance-enhancing drugs in our sport,” the chief executive added.

UFC President Dana White also issued similar statements. White knows the consequences of using performance enhancing drugs which usually put the life of the athlete at risk and even death. He said that they will do everything to keep these PED’s out of UFC and Strikeforce. “Our athletes are already held to the highest testing standards in all sports by athletic commissions. Our new testing policy for performance-enhancing drugs only further shows how important it is to us to have our athletes competing on a level playing field,” White added.

Existing fighters will be continuously tested for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs either randomly or in and out of competition as required by the State Athletic Commissions. For events held outside the country, the UFC hires independent testing agencies to conduct the steroid testing on the fighters. Zuffa has more or less 350 MMA fighters.

Effectiveness of the New Policy Still in Question

But whether this new steroid policy will be effective is still in question. Even if they test new fighters before signing them into a contract, most athletes take performance enhancing drugs during trainings or before their scheduled fights. Unless the promotion company implements a more stringent out of competition steroid testing, there will be fighters who will use performance enhancers.

In another controversial move, Floyd Mayweather Jr. directly called Manny Pacquiao asking the current pound for pound king for a match on May. Some analysts believe that this is another media hype but it will portray that Floyd is eager to have the fight with Pacquiao. Both camps confirmed the call to the media but declined to give comments on the details of the conversation between the two fighters. In an interview by a local media network in the Philippines, Pacquiao only revealed that Floyd Jr. agreed to a 50-50 share in the purse.

However, Top Rank Promotion president Todd duBoef told Yahoo’s Kevin Iole that it’s better to have the negotiation on the table instead of using the social media or making telephone calls. “Obviously, in order to make things happen, we need to take this out of the realm of the public and social media and telephone calls and into private rooms and sit down and start moving the ball forward,” said duBoef. He explained that deals should be done that way.

May 5 Fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao

Bob Arum already said that there are stumbling blocks in the May fight. Pacquiao can’t fight on May 5, as Floyd wants it, because he needs to recuperate from the injuries from his previous fight with Juan Marquez. Second, Arum needs to build a 40,000 seat capacity stadium to hold the boxing event. MGM can only handle around 17,000 expectators. Holding the mega fight in a bigger venue will generate at least $30M according to Pacquiao’s financial adviser.

Even if Floyd Jr. wanted the fight, just like Pacquiao, they still have to depend on their promoters who handle the negotiations. Previous negotiations failed because of the various demands of Floyd’s camp. It started with the Olympic style steroid testing to the amount of fight purse demanded by Floyd Jr. Right now, the Mayweathers are still facing the steroid defamation lawsuit filed by Pacquiao.

Uncle Roger Talks About Steroids Again

Roger Mayweather, the trainer and uncle of Floyd, again revived his accusation against the Pacman. Last week, he told the BoxingScene that Pacquiao don’t want to fight his nephew. He also insinuated that Pacquiao only wanted the money but Floyd will just beat him inside the ring. Not minding the steroid defamation suit against him, Roger again accused Manny Pacquiao of using steroids. “In the history of boxing there has never been a guy who was 105-pounds that beat a motherf**ker 145-pounds, 135-pounds, 147-pounds, 150-pounds. Everybody know what Pacquiao got in his a**. He got those steroids in his a**, that’s it, Roger told the BoxingScene. He also sees the fight between Floyd and Manny as a mismatch.

Floyd Jr. Goes to Jail in June

Floyd’s camp was able to convince the judge handling his felony case to suspend the 90-day jail term. His lawyer contend that the boxer have to comply with existing contractual obligations like the scheduled fight on May 5. However, the intensified public campaign of Floyd asking Pacquiao to fight him on May 5 is just a gimmick according to Bob Arum. The promoter said that Floyd is using Manny to sell his fight on May 5 against a not so popular contender Robert Guerrero. “They feel that if they blame Manny and myself for the Pacquiao-Mayweather not happening and therefore they are fighting Guerrero and that somehow the public will excuse them and buy the Mayweather-Guerrero fight,” Arum told a boxing website.

Another boxer, junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, is also seen as a possible replacement for Guerrero. On the other hand, there are at least 4 boxers who might become the next opponent of Pacquiao. They are Tim Bradley, Lamont Peterson, Miguel Cotto and a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez.