Dana White: UFC Abandons Plans for Out-of-Competition Drug Testing

LAS VEGAS — The Ultimate Fighting Champion has abandoned the plans it once had for an in-house drug testing program that would see all of its contracted fighters tested randomly year-round.

UFC president Dana White revealed the news during a media session attended by Bleacher Report on Thursday afternoon at the MGM Grand.

White said that the UFC's experience with Cung Le's failed drug test after his loss to Michael Bisping in China was the impetus for recalling the program. White said Le was initially suspended for being "18 times the limit" and that the fighter agreed to a nine-month suspension.

But after the suspension was agreed, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta decided to add an additional three months to the suspension, feeling that nine months was not long enough.

"When we went back to them with 12 months, that's when they fought it," White said.

The snafu led to Le's suspension being overturned entirely. He is now part of a class-action lawsuit pending against the promotion.

White said the experience made him realize the UFC cannot oversee its own program.

"Our legal team completed screwed that up. We f----d it up, and we will f--k it up again. That's what the commission is there for," he said.

White continued by saying that while they have come to the realization that the promotion cannot oversee its own drug testing program, Zuffa will instead give more money to athletic commissions to help fund additional testing.

"What we'll do is we'll help fund it, so they can do more drug testing," he said. "Our legal department screwed that whole thing up. We've got no business handling the regulation."

White also confirmed that he believed Le's participation in the class-action lawsuit stems directly from the botched test results.