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Royce Gracie Suspended, Fined For Steroids
By David A. Avila
Yet another MMA fighter has tested positive for steroids and this time it’s legendary Royce Gracie.
The California State Athletic Commission released information Tuesday at 5:35 p.m. from tests results that showed Gracie’s two samples revealed traces of nandrolone metabolite.
Gracie, 40, last fought on June 2 on a FEG fight card held at the Los Angeles Coliseum. He won by decision against Japan’s Kazushi Sakuraba. A prior fight that took place a year ago against Matt Hughes in Los Angeles did not have steroid testing in place.
The Brazilian jujitsu master is suspended for the remainer of his license that ends on May 30, 2008. Gracie has been fined $2,500, the most that can be levied by the Commission.
It was the third successive day that the Commission released information that a professional fighter had tested positive for steroids. Boxers James Toney and Dan Batchelder who fought each other on May 24, were discovered to have two forms of steroids in their samples. Also, MMA fighters Johnnie Morton and Tim Persey tested positive for steroids and drugs respectively this week.
“Use of steroids is simply cheating,” said Armando Garcia, CSAC executive director. “It won’t be tolerated in this state.”
Nevada also has steroid testing in place.
We want to hear what TSS readers think about the issue. Do you feel, hey, everyone's doing it, so the playing field is level? Should we overlook the issue? Weigh in!
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Keith:
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I think that it's not a level playing field because everybody is not doing it. If you look on the market today with all these supplements that are sold over the counter who knows what could be in these supplements. Surely some of them contain banned steroids but you won't see that on the package otherwise it wouldn't make any money. Thats why a lot of athletes say that they never knowingly took steroids because they are using these supplements to lose weight and gain muscle quickly and there is just no way that these supplements could provide all of these kind of results without having something that would stimulate such quick growth. Not to say that there are not some outright cheaters who are doing it and know it but you would think that with all the tests that athletes of any kind have to take and with technology today that people would get wise and stop taking them if they are knowingly taking them. Especially since most athletes are getting caught with the same kinds of steroids in their systems makes me believe that these drugs are in the different kind of supplements out there on the market. If you look at the time line when athletes really started to get caught and compare them with the explosion of the supplement market you would probably see a strong correlation that would show the increase in over the counter supplement sales and an increase in athletes being caught with steroids in their system.
Thursday Jun 14, 2007 11:08:13 PM
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dougie gray:
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keith is talking mince banned steroids are in banned steroids not in supplements. I hope it proves to be some sort of false possitive in Royces case having someone of that high a public profile being shown in a bad light is bad for everyone who likes the sport.
Friday Jun 15, 2007 04:26:18 AM
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Fonz:
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What is the sports world coming to?
Friday Jun 15, 2007 09:15:53 AM
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Robert:
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Why do I think the fight game was cleaner and better back when the gangsters controlled it in the 1950s?
Friday Jun 15, 2007 01:50:34 PM
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Keith:
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Dougie, I'm talking about supplements not banned steroids. I know banned steroids are in banned steroids. The point is is that we don't know what are in all of these over the counter supplements and not all supplements are created equal. There are some that are on the banned substance list because of what they contain .Since the supplement market is not regulated by the federal government there is a chance that not all the ingredients are accurately listed on the label of a supplement product. For evidence of this google for this story :"Oklahoma reports using 2 nutritional supplements banned by NCAA".
Friday Jun 15, 2007 01:52:52 PM
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jim hughes:
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Over the last 12 years I am hands down the person who has traveled the most with Royce, spending day and night with him, training from place to place, eating what he eats, sleeping his schedule, doing, as best I can, what he does on a day to day basis. Recently I've been showing up for his conditioning training and his fight training. James Strom, Royce\\\'s conditioning coach and Royce\\\'s family may spend more time with him. I don\\\'t know. But what I do know is that Royce is the most critical decision maker about what he puts in his body that I personally know.
Throughout all the time that I have spent with him, he has never once left the path of the Gracie Diet. And believe me, with me hanging around, Royce has had many many opportunities to fall off the wagon. While Royce will use protein powder, he has always checked the ingredients of anything he has used at my house and anywhere we have been. He once read the label of a package of turkey lunch meat I bought at the gas station while we were on the road in the middle of freaking nowhere. He once declined my energy drink because it had some pseudo something in it (I wasn\\\'t really sure what he was talking about).
I have never seen or heard of Royce using any steroids. I don\\\'t care if the Athletic Commission says they tested and found trace amounts of nandrolone in his urine. Royce does not care about some slight advantage that a steroid might offer.
I can tell you that there is very good research which concludes that \\"there is strong evidence to show that NA can appear in urine of people who are free of exogenous nandrolone\\" this is from the British Journal of Sports Medicine 2002; 36; 325-329
Check out:
bjsm.bmj dot com/cgi/reprint/36/5/325
Furthermore, I have seen numerous false positives with urine tests in my many years of clinical practice work with criminal clients. Also, blood and urine tests can be different from lab to lab. I found this out when I visited Dr Shanley (head of infectious disease) at UCONN Medical Center when I was trying to figure out what was up with my amazingly annoying back and hip pain. Royce\\\'s Doc friend and student from Miami, Dr.. Scuderi, guessed that I still had Lyme Disease, even though I had been treated, and that it was effecting my pain level from the hip socket tear that I have now grown to love and enjoy. . . Quest Labs showed my Lyme Disease antibodies within normal limits. Dr. Shanley wanted to retest me using his own lab. The Result? He found a dramatically different scenario: I still had full blown Lyme Disease 4 years after I was originally treated. That explained a lot! After he retreated me, my pain was much improved. The moral of the story: these urine tests and blood tests are not as solid as we once believed.
When it comes to Royce, he does not use steroids. If he did and if it actually helped I would have observed it and I would tell you so and I would probably use them myself and be recommending them to you. But he did nt, i didnt, and Im not.
NA occurs naturally for a variety of reasons. It can be elevated with high levels of exercise. I can tell you from experience, Royce is impossible to keep up with. He has an amazing trainer in James Strom. And his physical activity alone is likely the reason for the slight NA elevation.
It is unfortunate because with this type of thing being half baked then publicized ---makes Royce appear guilty when really, he should be innocent until proven guilty. A test that shows strong evidence of false positives is just not enough to prove someone guilty. Unfortunately, there is little recourse that Royce has. The commission can say and do whatever they want. In the meanwhile, I guess Royce will enjoy finishing up his fighting career in Japan. Anyone up to joining me for the trip?
Jim Hughes
Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu New England
10 Great Locations
gracie-jiu-jitsu dot co m
Friday Jun 15, 2007 03:11:19 PM
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Bobby T:
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First James Toney and now Royce Gracie. Why these guys don't just use HGH, which is undetectable, is beyond me! They know they'll be tested and it will appear. Just use HGH!
Saturday Jun 16, 2007 07:44:58 AM
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Brian Brown:
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Sounds like the attack is on for the leaders of a sport not fully recognized until recent years. I surely hope that MMA will keep rolling forward and growing as it has. Royce Gracie is a legend and with this looming, try as they may I believe he is not taking or doing anything to cheat, why would he need to?
I am just a fan of the best sport in the world.
Saturday Jun 16, 2007 08:20:34 AM
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Darrin Smith:
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this whole thing is B.S. Royce would not use steroids in a million years. It's a mistake. The state atheltic commission needs to do there research on steroids a little better.
Sunday Jun 17, 2007 04:00:08 PM
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marlon:
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Mr Thau please, create in CGI Royce tests negative for steroids scene!
Sunday Jun 17, 2007 05:09:53 PM
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Sam:
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Well he did jump from 170 to 190, and he wasn't 190 flabby...still saku should have out performed him irregardless. I mean he should of had a psychic advantage. but then again its a grace. *sigh* another unlimited rounds rematch in UFC? i mean from pride to k-1, lets have fight 3 in UFC
Sunday Jun 17, 2007 07:55:18 PM
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Paul Rodriguez:
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1 sam you dont know much.sigh.....nandralone doesnt make you 20 pounds heavier and he is normally 176.....about it being bs I cant see him doing it for a rematch like this hes pretty clean cut in that side of the family gracie diet and all as far as that idiot talking HGH try doing HGH when you dont know if you have cancer cells in your body then come talk BS
Monday Jun 18, 2007 02:05:02 AM
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ERNIE:
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I deal with nutrition and the human anatomy on a regular basis at my work place. I do understand that Royce Gracie was recently tested for steroids by the state of California.
Royce Gracie is 6'1" and used to fight around 180 lbs (81.8 kg) With Royce being built the way he is he had to drop weight to fight Matt Hughes (talk about a funny looking fight where a great fighter seemingly intentionally breaks his guard, gives his arm and his back). Royce was smaller for that fight that he had ever been. With his increase in age I don't see a need for training with anything but whey protein. With ethe excellent cardio and weight lifting programs available, there is no reason that you, yes you, can't put on 20 pounds of muscle is your already under weight. Considering you really only have to gain 10 pounds!
Tuesday Jun 19, 2007 01:09:40 AM
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rich:
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Fonz, Why be the steriotypical fan. What is the world of sports coming to? Have you not observed what the world of sports has been. There still are honest athletes out there. Take Royce for instance why would someone so regimented in self dicipline stoop to that level. There are such things as false positives in many forms. Forms range from anaboic use to street drug usage so why not let the investigation take place and base your opinion on the totality of the circumstances before you monday morning quarterback a decision that you have'nt even recieved the facts on. Take nanogram samples and anylize that!
Tuesday Jun 19, 2007 04:06:00 AM
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ERNIE:
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I deal with nutrition and the human anatomy on a regular basis at my work place. I do understand that Royce Gracie was recently tested for steroids by the state of California.
Royce Gracie is 6'1" and used to fight around 180 lbs (81.8 kg) With Royce being built the way he is he had to drop weight to fight Matt Hughes (talk about a funny looking fight where a great fighter seemingly intentionally breaks his guard, gives his arm and his back). Royce was smaller for that fight that he had ever been. With his increase in age I don't see a need for training with anything but whey protein. With ethe excellent cardio and weight lifting programs available, there is no reason that you, yes you, can't put on 20 pounds of muscle is your already under weight. Considering you really only have to gain 10 pounds!
Tuesday Jun 19, 2007 08:45:03 PM
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Mike Vrana:
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I see comercials for metabolite all the time its a diet pill,over the counter at walgreens.
Thursday Jun 21, 2007 02:02:37 PM
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Charlie:
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Man, Royce Gracie!!!! Did Helio need steroids to compete? I can't help but wonder if our society has come to a time where we need to drug ourselves to achieve greatness or did Royce fall victim to a depression following his loss to Hughes? Royce and the entire Gracie team brought to MMA what no one had or ever will but yes, It has changed! I personally think Royce and the Gracie team could kick ass but they are a family of pride ( they have no reason not to be) if they just evolved with the commercial fighting arena. What ever the incident and consequence I hope to see the Gracie's over come everything and push to the future always honoring their family name and reminding all of us why they are the father's of MMA.
Saturday Jun 23, 2007 01:43:22 AM
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MMA Fan:
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Why would the all-time MMA towel-tosser (Royce Gracie) use steroids is beyond me. If Royce was not using illegal steroids, he would probably have 6 to 8 additional losses by towel toss.
Monday Jun 25, 2007 12:14:07 PM
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the way:
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I have been training for many years now and believe me, you can lift weights till the cows come home and you will not gain any where near what weight these fighters attain in such short periods of time. Oh and as for 20 pounds of muscle when you are training for speed and stamina, forget it because its bull shit. Even with the best diet and weights routine fitted around your fight training you will only gain a limited amount. The key fact here is that anyone who as trained hard knows that these guys must be using drugs or they would, well for most of them be built like railings. The general public and viewers of UFC may be fooled that you can attain such muscle gains because most of them may have never even been in a gym, but for any real martial artist training day in day out we know there is only one way with the exeption of alien genetics that these guys gain such weight in short periods of time. S_T_E_R_O_i_D_S.
Thursday Jul 5, 2007 10:13:26 AM
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Oobob:
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Um, gracies levels of the steroid were so high they didn't show up on the lab calibrator. Normal human levels stop much lower than that (even the false positives that have been recorded for this particular test).
The way is right btw, i have been lifting for years and you just can't get these gains that quickly, particularly at his age. 20 pounds of muscle in a short time is a remarkable goal, particularly while training for another sports and having to do intense cardio, and it's not something unserious people can just whip out in no time. Particularly not around 40.
Thursday Jul 5, 2007 09:32:33 PM
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SKULL101A:
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What a disappointment.
Royce should have retirned 8 years ago.
Sunday Jul 15, 2007 12:38:33 AM
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J:
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the whole gracie name is disgraced and they talk way to much crap.... the gracie era is over!
Sunday Jul 15, 2007 03:40:01 AM
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Ed:
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I don't think that the whole Gracie family is a disgrace. I think that is wrong to use steroids to stay on the MMA map yes!!!
Royce has to admit that his time is up and As Rickson did leave with honor... By the way, as you guys mentioned "talk is cheap" and i bet if you guys think that the Gracie's name is a disgraced, prove them wrong and challenge them... You will be tapping too.
They have given us a great Martial Art and that legacy can not be forgotten.
Sunday Jul 15, 2007 12:30:15 PM
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the way:
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They have not given us a great martial art. As far as I am concerned they have just adapted what was already on offer from years of hard work from the masters before them and given us a good display of skills plus they have branded it with there name very cleverly. A martial art is something to be studied and passed on for the benefit of others.
Wednesday Jul 18, 2007 10:32:49 AM
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Frank:
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You don’t gain 20lbs of muscle in a short time by weightlifting and exercise. 6 to 8 lbs in a year for a younger hardworking athlete not on the juice is about it. Now if you want your head to grow like Barry or put on body builder muscle quickly your going to be on the juice. Looks like the Gracie fans have been let down. What a shame that such a pioneer competitor would disgrace his name this way. Makes you wonder what else has been artificial in what was once a hall of fame career. Now it’s been sent to the hall of shame. Juicers don’t deserve to be in anything but pro wrestling with the rest of the juiced up wannabes. The levels he showed would only come from juicing up which means his career here is pretty much over unless he goes to the WWE.
Thursday Jul 19, 2007 05:01:25 AM
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Gracie Juiced-jitsu:
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Sakuraba deserves a rematch with a steroid-free Royce.
Friday Jul 20, 2007 11:12:29 AM
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will:
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Either everyone is on stereoids or the commision screwed up. If it was just one or two people, okay, but they are saying nearly everyone that they tested came up positive?
There are going to be serious apologizing when the Commission admits errors.
Sunday Jul 22, 2007 09:09:02 PM
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the way:
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No errors mate. Open your eyes.
Monday Jul 23, 2007 10:26:39 AM
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Donald Ticknor:
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Scientifically speaking Royce Gracie can be found to be NOT GUILTY!
Personally I would mind representing Gracie as I am a fan, as well as a firm believer in science evidence and breakthroughs.
There is scientific research to prove the fact that traces of the drug nandrolone metabolite is naturally found in some people who exercise regularly.
Friday Jul 27, 2007 04:39:10 PM
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SKULL:
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THAT FIGHT WITH SAK WAS SAD FOR BOTH FIGHTERS. WHAT WOULD THE POINT OF A RE-MATCH BE ? ROYCE DOPPED HIMSELF UP TO BEAT A NOTHING LEFT SAK. SAK HAD NO ENGERY OR HIS USUALLY EXCITEMENT FOR THE MATCH. ITS VERY SAD THAT ROYCE NEEDED TO BE DOPPED TO BEAT A NO BODY.
Sunday Jul 29, 2007 04:58:24 PM
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John Cena:
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Royce didnt cheat, Sakuraba did. Sakuraba probably was behind all this. Royce knew nothing about all this
Sunday Jul 29, 2007 08:11:01 PM
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kris:
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saku is still the gracie hunter. even all doped up to that level (50 n), royce couldn't win decisively-- that fight was so pathetic. and comparing photos of royce during saku's and hughes' fight, his body clearly looked unnaturally different.. like someone at age 40 could really change like that in a year. what a thug.. gracie, the disgrace to MMA.
Sunday Jul 29, 2007 09:24:30 PM
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the way:
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Lets face it. Most of them are on gear and if it was taken away I bet most of them would have trouble against a avarage fighter. perhaps it gets to a point were they feel like they cant compete without it. Perhaps they could never have competed without it in the first place and needed the false confidence that steroids can bring about just to get into the fight game. I have to say that it is a sorry state of affairs when the martial arts have come to this. I have been training myself in different styles for some time and have never resorted to steroids but I know as far back as the late 80s and early 90s I did notice individuals who seemed to bulk up with muscle and keep there speed in just a few weeks which was no doubt steroid use. It is a shame that everyone is looking for the quick fix in martial arts. Where as the old concept of training the body and mind as one. You aint going to get that with drugs I am affraid not even if you name is gracie.
Tuesday Jul 31, 2007 10:49:54 AM
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Elbert:
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Contradicting the comments that are trying to excuse/protect Royce, in the following video, Relson Gracie, Royce's brother, is very critical about recent changes in Royce's training/physique:
Sorry, I'm unable to submit the actual url in this forum, but if you go to "thefightworkspodcast" and do a search for "relson gracie on allegations of royce gracie using steroids," you should be able to access the youtube video.
Wednesday Aug 8, 2007 12:39:55 PM
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dan:
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everyone is doin steroids in mma, of course theirs a few that aint, especially in lighter weights, but gimme a break if you dont think most top competitors in their arent doing them.
it changed the sport tremendously, get rid of all the roids, lets see real skill come back to the forefront.
Wednesday Oct 3, 2007 06:00:12 AM
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JL:
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Gracie has cheated again and disgraced his family. Tis is the second time he has been caught, and the Gracie's need to understand that they are now completely outclassed.
Sure they dominated when the owned the UFC and chose the fighters and the rules. Once everyone cottoned onto tho their style of fighting, it only took a few years.
I do Brazilian Ju_juitsu, but it is nearly redundant.
Once an incredible champion. Tragedy
Monday Oct 15, 2007 12:08:54 PM
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dennis:
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What a disgrace. i find it funny when people try to talk about false positive. the maximum amount that can be found on people with rigorous training is 6 ng/ml, the amount found on him was hmm lets see, approx 50 ng/ml? ok if you wanna be his lawyer then show me some scientific breakthrough that can prove that lol. no doubt at one point he was a man of near legendary status, but it's over, sakuraba is a gracie killer and to barely beat the japanese fighter, Royce seemed to have needed a little bit of help hehe. oh well at least some of his family members can still fight well and help lift the gracie name.
Friday Nov 9, 2007 04:26:06 AM
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daniel:
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steroids are not cheating, its not my fault if youre too much of a puss. ive been into mma , wrestling and boxing since highschool, i love steroids, you still have to work hard i hate idiots ignorantly speaking on what they donot have any idea about. the only proven side effect of them is that they work i applaud fighters for using them, it means they are hardcore commited. i mean honestly how many fighters do you believe havent? come on dont be stupid. my highschool wrestling coach introduced me to them and i havent looked back.
Tuesday Dec 18, 2007 04:10:16 PM
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Kevin:
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I agree that steroids are everywhere, and that most professional athletes have at least tried them more than once, to see what they do. Whoever doesn't believe this should read "The Steve Courson" story. He was a lineman for the Steelers in the 70s and he said he didn't know one lineman who didn't use steroids regularly back then.
However, I still maintain that they are a form of cheating. Yes, they require a person to work very hard in order for them to work the way they are intended to work for athletes, but athletes work hard anyway. They take the normal chemicals a body produces and alter them to what they would never be. That's cheating. Cheating on a test in school takes your normal intelligence and helps you appear more talented than you are, just like steroids do for athletes.
In regards to Royce, I can only say that it is disappointing. Do I want to believe that he didn't mean to take steroids? Yes. Do I think he really didn't know what he was taking? No. I think he has never been able to get stronger throughout his career, despite a great workout schedule, and he finally said I'll "try" steroids. You know what, he gained a lot of muscle mass in one year. I read an interview somewhere that quoted more than one professional athlete saying there's no way to gain more than 8-10 pounds of muscle mass in one year without taking steroids. Royce gained 15 or 20, I think.
As disappointed as I am, I still have a lot of respect for him. He was a pioneer, and few fighters today can say the same. Randy can, as he perfected the ground and pound, and Sakuraba perfected the art of neutralizing BJJ, but I would go so far as to say that only Royce, Randy, and someone like Sakuraba are the real innovators of the fight world. Who else has had such a major impact?
Fighters like Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, Wanderlai, Rampage, and countless others certainly dominate, but they didn't revolutionize the fight world. They took what existed and became experts at it. It'slike NFL teams that use the West Coast offense. Do teams use it better than 49ers from the 1980s? Maybe, but Bill Walsh introduced it, and everyone else owes him a debt of gratitude.
I wish Royce and his family the best. I will always respect him for being a trailblazer, and for making the hair on the back of my stand up for so long when this ball started rolling.
Saturday Dec 29, 2007 04:35:06 PM
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Kyle Alle:
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If K-1/FEG or any other MMA company with a license to promote shows in California were to allow Gracie to fight anywhere in the world during his CSAC drug suspension, that company could face revocation of their license to promote shows in California.
Thursday Jan 3, 2007 02:41:44 PM
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patrickgamil:
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sakuraba i better,
royce cheated.
the win doesn't count.
he should apologize and would still be seen as a hall of famer.
SAKURABA will live on as the Gracie Killer
Sunday Jan 27, 2008 09:16:24 AM
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Patrick:
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"Why these guys don't just use HGH, which is undetectable, is beyond me! They know they'll be tested and it will appear. Just use HGH! " Well if you like the millions of other people who are miquided and think HGH builds muscle. It doesn't HGH is a petuitary gland that increase hieght and metabolism though it will make you more toned. I am 6 2 and have a higher gh levels than most people yet i was an ectomorph?
Sunday Feb 8, 2009 02:00:34 AM
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Not Hip To The Hype
"Haye has said that without the hype, boxing is boring. This tells you something about him as a fighter and as a man. And maybe something about his low expectations of his own value as a fighter. Why isn't his skill good enough? Which audience is he trying to impress? When I watch fights, I watch the contest, the skill, the drama, the match-up. Screw the circus hype."---TSS reader Mortcola, giving thumbs down on David Haye and his pre-fight antics
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