Thread by @aaronbronsteter

UFC Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell and UFC Senior Vice President of Athlete Health & Performance Jeff Novitzky are speaking with the media regarding the UFC's partnership with USADA concluding at the end of 2023.

Notes below 👇

Campbell says that the UFC have sent a legal letter to USADA that will be issued to media soon

BREAKING: The UFC will be partnering with Drug Free Sport International in the future

Campbell says that what USADA have done to Conor McGregor is disgusting and that they may be legally liable for it.

Campbell says that USADA CEO Travis Tygart "lost his mind" on the phone call that they had on Monday after he was told that the UFC were going in a different direction.

Campbell says that testing will continue through the end of the year and that in the new year, they will launch a new program.

Campbell says that the way USADA have treated McGregor is different from how they have treated any other athlete in the past.

Campbell says that they plan on having an anti-doping program that will be even better than what they had with USADA.

Novitzky says that he is very happy with how the program has gone and that they have had less than a 1% positivity rate.

He says that the UFC have learned that USADA is not the only player in the space and that they have the means to make the next program stronger and better.

Novitzky says that he will never be involved in a program that isn't the gold, and now platinum, standard.

Novitzky says that he has dedicated his life to anti-doping, even at the risk of his family.

Calls USADA's narrative yesterday "garbage" and "trash"

He says that it has done damage to the emphasis that the UFC have put on anti-doping.

Novitzky says that the athlete experience under USADA has not been popular due to the burden that it has put on them.

He says that the UFC's internal team has been hard at work to give the athletes better technology when it comes to whereabouts reporting.

The UFC will be continuing the milestone recognition program.

Novitzky says that they will continue to have the most transparent anti-doping program in pro sports.

Novitzky says that Drug Free Sports International will be tasked with sample collection, as they have been for the NBA, NFL, NHL, WNBA, NASCAR and many other pro sports leagues.

Novitzky says that Drug Free Sports International is a perfect fit with the UFC because of how experienced they are with sample collection.

Novitzky says that Dr. Dan Eichner, who runs the SMRTL lab, which has the highest accreditation in anti-doping, will run the UFC's laboratory analysis and the science.

Per Eichner's recommendation, they will have the best EPO testing, use a leeching device called TASSO+, which does not require needles and blood draws. They will increase blood testing using this new method.

Novitzky says that they will have the most comprehensive prohibited list.

They will implement oral fluid testing to be stored long-term to compare in case using stimulants proves to be an issue.

Novitzky says that they will be using advanced growth hormone detection as well.

They will continue to look at biological passports with additional enhancements.

Calls it "smarter, more efficient, more effective technology and more convenient for the athletes"

Campbell counters what Tygart had told him about the UFC not having truly independent testing, says that this will add even more independence under this new program.

Campbell says that he received a call from California State Athletic Commission Andy Foster after USADA issued their press release that he was happy that the UFC would no longer be working with USADA because they have been difficult for his commission to deal with.

Novitzky says that the independent administrator running the UFC's next anti-doping program is George Piro.

George Piro was a special agent in charge at the FBI's Miami Field Office, was the Team Leader of the Saddam Hussein Interrogation Team in 2004 (per Wikipedia)

Novitzky says that Piro will make EVERY decision in the program and that the authority will be his and his alone.

Novitzky says that he will be surrounded by many expects, including the aforementioned Dr. Eichner.

Novitzky says that despite the "garbage narrative" that USADA put out, that the proof will be in the pudding that the UFC's new anti-doping program will be superior to the one with USADA.

Novitzky says that USADA's press release has confused the fighters and managers and that it is counter-intuitive to their claims that they are looking out for the athletes.

Campbell says that USADA's response to the McGregor situation has proven that they run like a dictatorship.

He says that they have tried to impose their will on the UFC and that McGregor, as an independent contractor, isn't the type of athlete that they are used to dealing with.

Campbell says that he assured Tygart that McGregor wasn't fighting in December after McGregor proclaimed that he was.

Campbell says that there was NEVER going to be an exception made for McGregor where he wouldn't be in the program for six months prior to competing.

Campbell believes that USADA have used McGregor as a vehicle to advance a false narrative and calls it "incredibly unethical".

Campbell says that he believes the press release that USADA sent yesterday was rooted in "ego and fear"

Campbell says that when he spoke to Tygart on Monday, he was extremely calm, while Tygart became unhinged. Calls Tygart an individual who's "dealing with a lot of sh*t"

Campbell says that Dana White always demands the best when it comes to all aspects of the UFC and that was top of mind when they went to develop the best possible anti-doping program going forward.

Campbell says that they put up millions dollars for USADA to enhance the anti-doping technology.

Novitzky says that they haven't seen "jack sh*t" when it comes to technological advances. He says they spent $1.8 million to make things easier on the athletes and nothing was done.

Campbell says that he doesn't know where USADA will go from here when it comes to professional sports and it is clear why so many sports leagues have gone with Drug Free Sport International.

Campbell urges media to reach out to the athletic commissions to ask about their experiences with USADA.

Campbell says that he sat through hearings that he felt were unethical.

Campbell says that Piro will serve as the adjudicating body for the athletes.

Drug Free Sport will send the samples to the SMRTL lab, results will go to Piro after they are analyzed and the athlete will explain and it will go to an arbitration program (MacLaren is mentioned)

Campbell says that he thanked Tygart for the partnership and offered to work with them on a communication plan to show their appreciation for their work together, but that he couldn't get a word in because Tygart was so angry.

Novitzky says that Piro will not be waking up athletes in the middle of the night before they are going to be competing and that collectors will not be getting samples prior to going to weigh-ins or other times that will impact their upcoming bouts.

Campbell says that retired athletes or athletes that leave the pool will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Campbell says that there is a different between a good faith and bad faith retirement.

Campbell says that there was a lot of resistance from USADA when it came to USADA over-policing tainted supplements and no-fault findings.

Campbell says that USADA is now using no-fault findings to promote themselves even though the UFC were the ones who pushed for them.

Campbell says that they will now have the ability to beta test drug testing innovations that will be more friendly to the fighters.

Novitzky says that he understands why USADA has to be cautious given that they are under the WADA umbrella, but that it has blurred the lines from some UFC athletes who have seen sanctions from other sports and how it could impact them in the same situations.

Novitzky says that the Olympic sport model does not fit a professional sports model in many cases.

Novitzky on Jon Jones says that they are still looking for an answer on the M3 metabolite issue.

He says that the UFC has a different athlete who has had M3 metabolite come and go for six year with no evidence of re-administration.

Dr. Eichner told Novitzky that if someone has been exposed to the M3 metabolite from a tainted supplement, that trace amounts could pop up for the rest of their lives.

Novitzky says that there's no real answer at this time as to why.

Campbell says that a clomiphene study was done to see how levels will change over a period of time and that the general opinion was that it had a half-life of a specific period of time.

He says that a subsequent study showed that years later, those same subjects tested positive

Novitzky says that the UFC will continue to provide a database that they hope will be updated more frequently and accurately than it was under USADA, that shows the frequency of sample testing.

Campbell says that he is unsure what the costs of the new program will be, especially when it comes to the technology that they hope to build out, new employees for athlete relations and to get the best in the world to help with TUE and understanding the science.

Campbell is hoping to invest more money up front in order to eventually save money down the line by doing it right.

He says that the amount that they spend is the last thing on his mind. He wants it to be the best program and that is all he cares about.

Campbell says that in terms of Piro being truly independent that they hire someone who has a sterling reputation for having integrity, credibility and respect.

Campbell says that he will be stunned if there is ever an issue with Piro's integrity.

Campbell mentioned earlier that the new program will focus on innovation and improve elements as the program goes on.

Campbell says that not only was there never a question over the time frame for McGregor to return, but that there was never a consideration on their part to waive the six month requirement and that McGregor's management was made very aware of that.

Campbell says that Conor McGregor is devastated by how USADA has handled this and the impact that it has had on his integrity, given how tested McGregor had been.

He says he feels that they materially misrepresented the situation and used McGregor as a vehicle is concerning.

Campbell says that McGregor re-entered the pool even knowing that the UFC were not going to extend the partnership with USADA.

Campbell says that USADA tried to move McGregor's onboarding call and that roughly five minutes after McGregor's onboarding call, USADA released the statement yesterday. Which shows that they already had it drafted.

That's a wrap.

Hope everyone found this information valuable.

I recorded the whole thing, but it didn't record the audio. I know that there were journalists recording on location and I'll share a link to their video once it is posted.