On July 1, 2015, the Ultimate Fighting Championship joined forces with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for a new out-of-competition drug testing program and new punishments for anti-doping violations. USADA oversees the program — which conducts a minimum of 2,750 drug tests per year — independent of the UFC.
“The UFC literally has removed themselves from the material operations of the policy,” said USADA CEO Travis Tygart at the time of the monumental announcement, via MMAjunkie.com. “So questions about who’s tested, when they’re tested, and what they’re tested for, is a year-round testing program, in- and out-of-competition. Blood, urine, biological passport, what’s tested for, (carbon isotope ratio), (erythropoietin) analysis, human growth-hormone analysis – those are all decisions that are made with us, the national independent anti-doping organization, with no involvement or decision-making authority from the UFC.
“So when you’ve heard in the past, the fox guarding the hen-house – they’ve recognized that, and they’ve put steps and action behind the reality that the only way to truly effectively do this is by outsourcing it and truly making independent all those key functions.”
As we approach the nearly four-year anniversary of the drug testing program, a list of the most-tested fighters of the USADA era has made the rounds on Twitter.
USADA keeps a running database of every drug test, but now we have an easy to digest list of those who have had the most visits. Unsurprisingly, the nine most-tested fighters are all current or former champions.
The most-tested fighter of the USADA era is none other than former two-division champion Conor McGregor (49 samples). Another former two-division champion and current heavyweight titleholder Daniel Cormier (45 samples) sits at the No. 2 spot.
The only other fighter to give more than 40 samples is former lightweight king Farael dos Anjos (41 samples).
A full look at the most-tested UFC fighters since the promotion’s partnership with USADA can be seen below, via UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky.
- Conor McGregor – 49 samples (including 11 prior to his boxing match vs. Floyd Mayweather)
- Daniel Cormier– 45
- Rafael dos Anjos– 41
- Holly Holm– 39
- Stipe Miocic– 38
- Robbie Lawler– 37
- Amanda Nunes– 36
- Jose Aldo– 36
- Tyron Woodley– 35