Sherk & Franca Test Positive

It is being reported that Sean Sherk(Lightweight Champion) has tested positive for elevated levels of nandralone and is suspended for a year.

"
Normal levels of Nandrolone range from 2 ng/mL (average person) to 6 ng/mL (athlete engaged in rigorous activity). Mr. Sherk’s reported level certified by the Director of Science and Technology from the laboratory that conducted the tests was 12 ng/mL. Both the “A” sample and “B” sample were tested and confirmed as positive.
"

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4359&zoneid=2

This comes right after Hermes Franca(the most recent challenger) releases a statement saying he would test positive and that he was sorry-

In the next few days, the results from the California Commission will be released. The tests will show that I had a “banned substance” in my system.

I would like to apologize to my fans, the UFC, my students and family. I offer only an explanation and not an excuse. I made a decision during a difficult time in my training for the fight that I regret.

About 8 weeks out from the fight, I badly injured my ankle during a training session. For the following week I had rested it, rehabbed it and tried to work around the injury. It was obvious that I could not train as required.

I contacted the UFC and explained my injury and how I could not possibly train to the level I thought I would need in order to be properly prepared for my fight. I asked the UFC if we could push the fight out to the following UFC with the chance that it could happen.

They explained that they could not do that and that the card had been set and it isnt as easy as just moving around a fight. I totally understood their position. They asked me to keep them informed should I not be able to fight.

I had not fought for 5 months. Fighting is literally how I put food on my wife and childs table and how I pay my bills. As a fighter though, even at this level, I live a simple life and I literally live from fight to fight. Not getting a paycheck for another few months and losing my chance to fight Sean for the title was overpowering. Fighting is the life I chose and I love it.

As a lightweight fighter, our purses are comparatively
small. The public sees the payouts. As lightweights, we do not pull down the money anything near the bigger guys. Its just the way it is. I think Sean fought and defended his title for less than $30,000. Its no ones fault, its just the market. I love the sport, I love the people in the
sport.

At this point I was desperate and needed anything I could to get my injury as close to healing as possible and be able to recover from the daily training regimen I was going through. I made the shortsighted choice to hopefully accelerate the healing process and allow me to keep training. Under the pressure of literally not being able to pay next months bills I made a choice. I had to fight and did whatever I could to do so.

I hope my fans, students, the UFC and the public accept my
sincere apology. Whatever punishment is dictated by the California Athletic Commission I will understand. I would like to get through this very difficult time and the times ahead and get back to fighting. All the best to my fans and much thanks to my family and friends that continue to support me during these times.

Hermes Franca

**Franca tested positive to Drostanolone. He has been fined $2500 and suspended through his licensing year which is July 5, 2008.


Anyone else as surprised as I am that BOTH fighters tested positive?

OHH NOESS!!!11

I wonder if the muscle shark will be stripped of his title??

:slight_smile:

I assume he will be…

I know there are a few “experts” who know about steroids and whatnot.

How likely/unlikely is it that a Nandrolone level could be so high legally?

Is it a drug with common false positives?

Couldn’t all the benefits be achieved via less-detectable drugs like HgH?

Does this surprise anyone?

[quote]Chewie wrote:
Does this surprise anyone? [/quote]

Not really, but it does pose a lot of problems

Is it just me or does this happens just about everytime there is an event in California?

I think it is not a good idea to host events in California anymore…

Also I don’t see any real reason for BJ to stay at 155 now.

Very sad. Sherk will be suspended for a year. He didn’t strike me as someone with much money, so I imagine he’ll go back to installing flooring; since how else will he be able to afford training. I wonder if he’ll even return to fighting.

His test results showed a relatively low level of deca. He probably just took enough to lubricate his joints. Again, very sad.

[quote]Xylene wrote:
OHH NOESS!!!11

I wonder if the muscle shark will be stripped of his title??

:)[/quote]

No way Dana lets him keep it with a year suspension. Title fights help put asses in seats. This could be a blessing in disguise for Sherk. It saves him an ass whipping from Penn, who might be back at 170 by the time his suspension runs out.

[quote]Kalle wrote:
Is it just me or does this happens just about everytime there is an event in California?

I think it is not a good idea to host events in California anymore…[/quote]

Stricter testing protocols?

Not too shocked by Sherk since he looks like a bodybuilder competing in MMA. Of course his physique can be attained naturally, it’s just that for MMA, he definitely stands out.

Phil Barone was also caught a couple weeks ago after his fight with Frank Shamrock.

Keep in mind, Marquardt tested positive for the same substance at similar levels and was able to get his failed test overturned. It’s not over just yet for Sherk. These guys need to get some endocrinologists, it’s ridiculous that so many are getting caught.

Anybody think/know if these tests are a bit less than random?
Very coincidental timing considering BJ’s massive popularity and marketability right now. arguably THE living legend of MMA currently.

Yes, sherk-bj wouldve been a big PPV draw, but its outcome was not certain at all. idk about anyone else, but I think sherk couldve definitely given BJ problems, even by virtue of his absolutely insane conditioning alone. BJ’s win was not a guarantee at all, but now…

“There is strong scientific evidence to show that [nandrolone] can appear in the urine of people free of exogenous nandrolone.”

THis is from marunde, where I’m sure it will be deleted if it hasnt already. I know this is preaching to the choir, but I thought I’d continue the discussion here. First 2 posts of the thread:

"In advance, if this is an inappropriate topic, delete the thread and I apologize.

From mmanews.com, both participants in the UFC Lightweight championship fight Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk both tested positive for anabolic steroids. Hermes on his official website admitted shortly after the Sherk fight that he indeed would be testing positive for what he called a “banned substance”. This recent test makes Sherk a hypocrite if you think about it because he had been very high on himself during the UFC: All Access show on Spike TV, talking about how he eats only for performance, trains like a mad man, and not to mention wants to be the greatest champion of the 155 weight division ever.

Well theres a severe rip in the plan. Champions don’t take steroids or any performance enhancing drug. But you couldn’t tell that to Tim Sylvia or Josh Barnett before the UFC exploded in popularity. Both men held the UFC heavyweight championship and both at one point were tested positive for anabolic steroids. Tim Sylvia had this happen after his fight with Gan McGee and Josh Barnett has this happen after a fight I believe with current UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy “The Natural” Couture.

Unlike Barnett however, Sylvia admitted to taking steroids, forfeited his belt to the UFC and took his suspension as a man where as Barnett was doing everything he could to find a loophole in the drug testing system which is why he left the UFC and choose to fight in PRIDE which had no drug policy.

These incidents aren’t the only incidents in the UFC or in mixed martial arts. After his rematch with Sakuraba in the K-1 MMA organization, Royce Gracie tested positive for a “performance-enhancing substance”. At first Royce challenged the ruling, much like Sherk is doing now, but realized that it was fruitless and is now serving a suspension through the rest of his license which is in 2008 as is the potential case with Sherk and the case with Hermes Franca, as he is suspended through July 5th of 2008.

Sherk faces having his title stripped, a $2500 fine, and a one year suspension through July 5th of 2008. Also of note, at UFC 73:Stacked was the return of Stephan Bonnar who 9 months prior after his rematch with Forrest Griffin had tested positive for an anabolic steroid, admitted to it, paid the fine, and served his suspension.

As of this moment, I wouldn’t say there is a drug crisis in MMA, but in every sport there is some sort of drug use. The most notorious obviously at the moment, or at least the one in the public eye is baseball, with several players this year testing positive for steroids. MMA is becoming a huge sport, and it would be a shame to see it get a poor reputation from steroid use, especially from champions of various MMA organizations. Hopefully this problem can be fixed up.

What do you guys think about the breaking news that Sherk and Franca tested positive for steroids and that slowly but surely steroids are making their way into MMA?"

"This is gonna get deleted, but whatever.

Anthony did you write this? You mentioned it was from mmanews.com but I wasnt 100% clear on how much was your opinion. Whoever wrote the above-quoted passage is at best naive and at worst a small-minded fool. Of course champions take drugs, this doesnt even warrant arguing.

I’d also like to know why the author calls it “hypocritical.” Everything that he quoted sherk as saying suggests that sherk is dedicated above all else to fighting. If he’s going to rearrange his life for it, is it really surprising - or for that matter, reprehensible - that he’s would do EVERYTHING in his power, in cluding taking drugs, to be the best champ he can be?

I am also not completely positive on this - READ: I COULD BE WRONG - but I believe that it is the NSAC’s rule that steroids aren’t allowed not UFC’s. This si significant to me because of the international nature of the fight game. It’s preposterous for a fighter from the usa to have to contend with rules different from those applied to someone who lives in Brazil or Japan, where steroids are legal without a prescription (I THINK. AGAIN, I COULD BE WRONG)

I’m just disgusted and wonder when the american public will wake up and realize professional sports isnt some “Paul Bunyan” pursuit of farm boys who are naturally strong. The best athletes are insanely driven, and to me that is admirable. Heck, we tell the american children “Work hard, follow your drive and make sacrifices and you’ll rise to the top” Why the arbitrary distinction? Sacrificing family life is ok (nfl coaches working 90-100 hours/week) but steroids arent? Ridiculous."

for the record, the thread at marunde lasted 45 minutes before being taken down. surprisingly long

[quote]Donut62 wrote:
Keep in mind, Marquardt tested positive for the same substance at similar levels and was able to get his failed test overturned. It’s not over just yet for Sherk. These guys need to get some endocrinologists, it’s ridiculous that so many are getting caught.[/quote]

Sherk’s people should have been giving him regular drug tests. It’s well-known that false positives occur. If he had been tested and come up positive months before the fight, his people could have alerted the proper people and hired a former FBI polygraph administrator to give him a polygraph.

[quote]Donut62 wrote:
Keep in mind, Marquardt tested positive for the same substance at similar levels and was able to get his failed test overturned. It’s not over just yet for Sherk.[/quote]

IIRC, Marquardt’s suspension was overturned because his A and B samples yielded different results, indicating there was a laboratory error. Sounds like both of Sherk’s samples flunked, so his chances of winning an appeal are much slimmer.

The MMA boards are hilarious. Pretty much anyone with muscle “must be” on steroids. Man, we have our ignorant newbies here. But the worst on this site are better than 90% of people on MMA boards.

[quote]Frank Castle wrote:
Anybody think/know if these tests are a bit less than random?
Very coincidental timing considering BJ’s massive popularity and marketability right now. arguably THE living legend of MMA currently.

Yes, sherk-bj wouldve been a big PPV draw, but its outcome was not certain at all. idk about anyone else, but I think sherk couldve definitely given BJ problems, even by virtue of his absolutely insane conditioning alone. BJ’s win was not a guarantee at all, but now…[/quote]

What the hell is with these stupid conspiracy theories. Of course the CSAC tests are not “random”, they test every damn fighter who walks into the cage/ring in that state.

Furhtermore, Zuffa, LLC and the Ultimate Fighting Chamipionships have absolutely fuck all to do with drug testing. That is the responsibility of the state athletic commissions. When the UFC fights in states (or countries) without athletic commission testing, there is no testing. If it was up to Dana White they could be smoking crystal meth before their ring walks, whatever sells pay per views is no skin off his back.

Calling BJ “THE” living legend of MMA is also disheartening, considering the guy never even defended a title belt and lost 2 of his last 3 fights. A great fighter, yes, but really a mediocre draw compared to guys like Randy, Tito, and Chuck. They certainly wouldn’t be sticking their necks out for a guy who has shown a penchant for telling them to go fuck themselves and walking away whenever he feels like it.

[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Donut62 wrote:
Keep in mind, Marquardt tested positive for the same substance at similar levels and was able to get his failed test overturned. It’s not over just yet for Sherk. These guys need to get some endocrinologists, it’s ridiculous that so many are getting caught.

Sherk’s people should have been giving him regular drug tests. It’s well-known that false positives occur. If he had been tested and come up positive months before the fight, his people could have alerted the proper people and hired a former FBI polygraph administrator to give him a polygraph.[/quote]

I think something you need to remember is the fact that Sherk only made 24k last fight and he tends to fight twice a year…

Notice the bigger stars like Chuck, Tito, Randy etc… are not getting caught? They can probably afford endocrinologists and all kinds of fancy drugs not to mention I doubt Sherk could afford to have regular drug testing on his own.

[quote]Steve4192 wrote:
Donut62 wrote:
Keep in mind, Marquardt tested positive for the same substance at similar levels and was able to get his failed test overturned. It’s not over just yet for Sherk.

IIRC, Marquardt’s suspension was overturned because his A and B samples yielded different results, indicating there was a laboratory error. Sounds like both of Sherk’s samples flunked, so his chances of winning an appeal are much slimmer.[/quote]

I believe he went to two other labs and their tests turned out negative, if his test B had really been negative then he would not have been suspended in the first place.

[quote]Frank Castle wrote:
Anybody think/know if these tests are a bit less than random?
Very coincidental timing considering BJ’s massive popularity and marketability right now. arguably THE living legend of MMA currently.

Yes, sherk-bj wouldve been a big PPV draw, but its outcome was not certain at all. idk about anyone else, but I think sherk couldve definitely given BJ problems, even by virtue of his absolutely insane conditioning alone. BJ’s win was not a guarantee at all, but now…[/quote]

It isn’t random at all, everyone in a title fight is tested so Sherk and Franca knew this.

[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Very sad. Sherk will be suspended for a year. He didn’t strike me as someone with much money, so I imagine he’ll go back to installing flooring; since how else will he be able to afford training. I wonder if he’ll even return to fighting.

His test results showed a relatively low level of deca. He probably just took enough to lubricate his joints. Again, very sad.
[/quote]

Good question, I hope this is just a false positive and that Sherk can get back to business of fighting. Would really suck if a guy who seems so nice is punished if he is not guilty.