Former UFC champion Julianna Pena expressed serious concerns about the current state of PED testing in the UFC following the organization’s split with the USADA.
Pena, known for her straightforward communication style, didn’t mince words when discussing the new testing protocols.
“This d*ug testing is like the wild, wild west,” Pena stated to Helwani. “It’s like pee in a plastic cup that has absolutely no security on it and do what you got to do.”
The star referenced historical issues with Olympic testing to support her concerns, specifically mentioning past controversies involving Russian athletes. “Even in the Olympics with the Russians being able to tamper with those USADA unbreakable type of bottles and be able to switch the peas in them,” she noted.
Pena alluded to suspicions about Kayla Harrison. “I cannot confirm 110% whether she is or is not on PEDs, but I will say that back then in the Olympics, she looked like a girl, very feminine. And now she looks super juicy and like cut up,” Pena remarked.
She continued with a colorful description: “Somebody give that girl a bandaid because she’s cut. And it doesn’t just happen overnight just because you touch the weights a little bit.”
Pena’s comments reflect a growing concern among some UFC athletes about the effectiveness of the organization’s new testing program, which was implemented after parting ways with USADA in late 2023. The UFC now partners with DFSI for its testing protocols.
“I want to say what everybody’s thinking on their minds, which is that, of course, she at some point was on ster*ids,” Pena added, before expressing her hope that her future opponent “cycles off of them before, makes the weight and pisses clean.”
The UFC has maintained that its new testing program is rigorous and effective, but testimonials like Pena’s highlight the skepticism that exists among some stars about the current system’s integrity.
UFC collected 1316 samples concluding with May 2nd of this year. In 2023, USADA tested 739 mixed martial artists a combined 4,231 times. In 2024, DFSI and UFC show a total of 1903 tests – about half the USADA number.
