Fedor’s New Drug Policy

Athletic commissions are not perfect auditors. Drug use can be masked in a variety of ways, and a urine test is not as sensitive a technique as drawing blood. But they do a decent job, as evidenced by the numerous (alleged) substance users ousted over the years.

Where the system begins to break down is when athletes or their management fancy themselves co-conspirators in that process. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. demanded that Manny Pacquiao undergo a specific pre and post-fight test protocol that was to his liking; now Fedor Emelianenko’s handlers are demanding the same of Alistair Overeem.

Mixfight.nl spoke with M-1’s Apy Echteld about a possible Overeem fight, which has been rumored for months but appears vague in light of Overeem’s absence from his Strikeforce heavyweight title. Overeem, Echteld said, would have to be tested leading into the fight.

While several commissions make a habit of this, particularly for main event fighters, not all do -- some test only after the bout’s conclusion. It’s unclear whether Echteld is demanding Overeem be tested several weeks or months out, which would preclude him (again for the lawyers: hypothetically) cycling on and off a drug regimen.

Either way, it’s a fairly gross trespass of an athlete’s responsibilities. Emelianenko is a combatant, not a promoter or state official. He is not at liberty to mandate how a commission processes fighters, approves their apparel, checks their knee wraps, or anything else that’s governed by an existing body. Likewise, if he’s unhappy with how a state handles organization, he’s free to compete elsewhere.

The more I hear about this fight, the less chance there appears to be of ever actually seeing it.