Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) was thrust into the spotlight when UFC president Dana White, who previously hadn’t questioned its use by his fighters, criticized it last week, saying it has now become a way for fighters to cheat.
Dan Henderson, who has admitted to being one of several fighters in the UFC to undergo TRT and receive a Therapeutic Use Exemption, said his doctor had recommended it and that he’d been using it for five or six years.
“Before I did anything I called the athletic commission and made sure it was OK. And this was long time ago and they said no problem,” Henderson said. “I would welcome random drug testing for that and everything. I think that would help clean up the sport a lot and give it a better … when people look at it, there’s no bad taste in anybody’s mouth if the UFC really implements random drug testing.”
Henderson also made a case for fighters being judged on a case-by-case basis.
“I think maybe the UFC needs to have everyone see their doctor to get approved to begin with and go through their testing and make sure it’s legitimate and then monitor it a little bit better,” Henderson said. “It’s not too tough to monitor.”
When asked about White’s comment that if a fighter’s testosterone levels are too low, then they’re probably too old to be fighting, the 42-year-old smiled and shrugged it off.
“I don’t take anything he says personally,” he said. “He says a lot of things that are little bit off the wall. So I’m not worried about what he has to say.”
