Ian McCall recently joined Joe Rogan on the Fight Companion podcast, and had some interesting stuff to say about his issues at UFC 208, specifically around getting a therapeutic use exemption for UFC provided IV therapy. McCall stated:
“[The] UFC gave me two IV bags . . . Yeah, I had to go to the fucking hospital.”
“They were just doing it as a precaution, either way I was going to need it . . . I got some sort of an exemption, but I didn’t even have to get an exemption”
“I’ll probably get yelled at . . . by the UFC. I’m just kidding.”
When Joe Rogan asked who said he could use the IV, McCall replied,
“Jeff Novitzky came up to my room, Dr. D, they were all with me the entire time.”
“You can’t use an IV unless you get an exemption. Which, I don’t know the rules, and then again I was also sick the whole time so I don’t know what the fuck was going on. They gave me the two IV bags, and I ingested maybe a pound of water of whatever myself, that’s the only thing I could keep down. By the next morning, I had only gained 5 lbs. Everything I tried to eat, I threw up. I threw up in front of all the other fighters.”
McCall had a scare the day after the weigh-in as well:
“The next day, I asked for two more IV bags. I said, ‘Give me two more IV bags and some Zofran so that I can hold some food down, some anti-nausea stuff.’ They were like ‘No dude, you need to go to the hospital.’ They thought they were going to have to do emergency gallbladder surgery. This whole thing scared the shit out of me. The doctor said, ‘You could die, you never know.’ What the fuck do you mean you never know?”
Marc Raimondi at MMA Fighting got a statement from the UFC regarding McCall’s comments:
“UFC was aware of the situation regarding Ian McCall in advance of UFC 208, and his need to receive treatment for an acute medical condition via a prohibited method under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. Prior to McCall receiving treatment, UFC was in communication with USADA and the New York State Athletic Commission regarding his condition. McCall has since submitted a retroactive therapeutic use exemption request to USADA – who is responsible for reviewing the use of any prohibited substance or method during the course of medical treatment.
Under the UFC Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Policy, to receive approval of a TUE, athletes must submit medical records demonstrating a verifiable medical diagnosis and legitimate medical need for the requested medication or method in accordance with the applicable guidelines. Further, it must be determined that the athlete pursued and exhausted all non-prohibited alternatives to treat his condition and would return the athlete to a normal state of health without providing a performance-enhancing benefit.”
It should be noted that neither Jeff Novitzky nor the UFC doctor would be in a position to give McCall a TUE in advance. That application would have to go through USADA’s TUE committee. Under certain circumstances, a TUE isn’t required for an IV, however, it seems McCall receiving an IV in his hotel room wouldn’t qualify per USADA’s explanatory note on IV infusions:
“IV infusions during home visits, urgent care or after-hours clinics, boutique IV and rehydration services, and doctor’s office visits are not hospital admissions and would require an approved TUE in advance.”
This situation is a perfect example of what the retroactive TUE system was designed for. McCall needed treatment due to an acute condition, but had no time to apply in advance. It’s pretty certain that his retroactive TUE application will be passed without any problems.