CSAC Proves That out-of-Competition Drug Testing Works

One of the storylines that should be focused on following the report by Sherdog.com that Josh Barnett has tested positive for a substance and will not be allowed to battle Fedor Emelianenko is that out-of-competition drug testing actually works. Zach Arnold over at FightOpinion.com makes his case:

There is a bigger lesson to be learned here when thinking about this story. The lesson to be learned is that out-of-competition drug testing works and that drug testing right before and right after a fight is nice and everything, but it doesn’t ultimately catch a lot of the cheaters. Drug testing at events makes for nice PR more than it does make for great policy.

This is a very true statement, but it's one of the most obvious statements one could make when it comes to any drug testing within the realm of sports. If fighters know that drug testing will be done before and after events, it gives said fighters a time schedule in which they can avoid testing positive if they happen to be using performance-enhancing drugs or narcotics.

Most fans theorize about the cycling of many athletes who have been popped, most notably Sean Sherk. Other athletes who use synthetically-made, but naturally-ocurring PED's like Nandrolone are normally said to have cycled inconsistently, and a failed drug test resulted from poor management of their cycle. The fact of the matter is that there are probably a lot more fighters than we actually know about who manage their cycles meticulously, and those fighters are avoiding the consequences.

Narcotics are also a problem, and if you've read any of the CSAC transcripts from some of their meetings, they've had a history of fighters testing positive for a numerous narcotic drugs at once. Like PED's, some narcotics are only detectable for a short time in your bloodstream. This is definitely more of a safety precaution than anything, and do we really want addicts fighting MMA?

With out-of-competition drug testing, random testing is going to catch some of these fighters. In this case, it's a huge blow to Josh Barnett's career and image. He's already been caught in the past following his win over Randy Couture in 2002, but this positive test was before a Heavyweight title fight that many fans have been looking forward to for years. Not only is this going to turn a lot of fans away from Josh Barnett, but it'll probably keep a superfight between these two heavyweights from ever happening unless it takes place in Japan.

The bigger issue here, however, is that no fighter can escape a random drug testing structure. Everyone from prominent stars to low-level regional fighters will be impacted by this type of testing, and it can easily hurt their careers and money-making prospects. With this positive test by Barnett, we could definitely see a shift in the thinking that some athletes within the sport have about using PED's or narcotics. Interestingly enough, the CSAC did something right for once.

UPDATE: From Dave Meltzer

Contrary to original reports, Barnett said his June 25th drug test that came up positive was not part of California's new random out of competition testing.  It was a test on a day Barnett himself chose as part of his licensing procedure in the state as his license had expired. ....

The California State Athletic Commission had previously released that Barnett was the first person to take an out of competition drug test, saying he performed a test in front of a commission inspector and he was given 48 hours notice to show up for the test.  The commission said Barnett was surprised by the call from the office but came the next day after the call and complied with the test.

So, we now have a conflict of quotes here. Barnett is saying that the test was not an out-of-competition drug testing, but a part of his licensing procedure. The CSAC released previously that Barnett was the first person to take an out of competition drug test. Barnett was surprised by the call... hmmm. Who's right?

UPDATE: From Ariel Helwani at MMA Fanhouse:

Bill Douglas: And it just so happens that the first one [random drug test] we've ever done here in California produced a result.

Ariel Helwani: This is the first one ever?
Bill Douglas: First one ever. I mean, right out of the gate.

Ariel Helwani: That's incredible.
Bill Douglas: It's unbelievable.  

Looks like it was an out-of-competition test. OOC works obviously. It busted someone in its FIRST EVER use.