UFC 73
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UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk will go before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) on October 31 to plead his innocence to charges of steroid use, according to FightNetwork.com.
Sherk tested positive for an anabolic steroid agent known as “nandrolone” after his successful unanimous decision title defense against Hermes Franca at UFC 73: “Stacked” on July 7.
He claims that there is a mistake — even though both samples that he provided were tainted — and has hired a high-powered attorney, Howard Jacobs, to clear his name.
Here’s a snip:
“Sherk’s attorney … confirmed his legal team is investigating the lab documentation pertaining to urine specimens taken from his client. Jacobs also said Sherk’s supplements were being tested.”
The 155-pound champion and Octagon veteran has already been fined $2,500. Sherk also faces a one-year suspension and will be stripped of his title if the ruling is upheld.
It’s unfortunate that the hearing will take place on Halloween. That’s because prior to this situation Sherk was penciled in to fight BJ Penn at UFC 78 in Newark, N.J., on November 17.
With just two weeks between the hearing and the event, it’s safe to say that Sherk will not be competing in the Garden State. Penn, on the other hand, could still face Joe Stevenson — a match up that will likely happen to determine a new champion if the title is vacated.
However, Stevenson is recovering from a broken nose he suffered in his UFC 74 win over Kurt Pellegrino and is on medical suspension.
It just seems like this entire situation right now is an utter mess. And only time will determine how it all unfolds.
Written by admin on August 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Hermes Franca and UFC 73 and Sean Sherk and UFC Lightweight Division and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and BJ Penn and MMA.
With a win over Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 74: “Respect” on August 25, season two welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Joe Stevenson, could find himself fighting BJ Penn for the vacant 155-pound title later this year, according to a recent Yahoo!Sports article.
Of course, Sean Sherk would have to be stripped of his belt for the scenario to pan out. And that matter won’t be resolved until sometime in October at the earliest when Sherk appeals his suspension for using illegal steroids at UFC 73 before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAS).
Nonetheless, this report sheds some insight on what might happen if the findings on Sherk are upheld.
Here’s a snip mash:
“UFC President Dana White may have to find someone to fight B.J. Penn for the vacant lightweight title if Sherk is stripped…. White said he hadn’t made up his mind what to do because he said he believes Sherk’s denials, but he said if Sherk is suspended by the commission, he would probably strip him of the belt … [he] concedes that Stevenson may get a shot at the UFC lightweight championship later this year pending the resolution of a steroids complaint filed against champion Sean Sherk by the California Athletic Commission.”
While not set in stone, the recent developments in the division have raised the stakes significantly for Stevenson — beat “Batman” and he’s (possibly) fast tracked himself to a title shot against the Hawaiian.
Here’s a snip from “Daddy:”
“The motivating thing for me is, pushing myself to be better every day knowing that I’m getting near that (title shot) and that it’s becoming more and more of a reality for me. Now is the time more than ever I can’t afford a slip. I totally understand that. Sometimes, when you have a bad fight or whatever, you say to yourself, ‘Well, there’s another time.’ But I can’t afford right now to think that way. I have to be on top of it. I have to be impressive in everything I do now, because I know my chance might depend upon it.”
The 155-pound title fight was booked for UFC 78 on November 17 from the Prudential Arena in Newark, N.J. It’s unclear at this time whether or not that remains the case with Sherk’s appeal just one month beforehand.
Written by admin on August 9th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Joe Stevenson and UFC 78 and Kurt Pellegrino and UFC 73 and Sean Sherk and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and BJ Penn and UFC Lightweight Division and MMA.
Props: MMAWeekly.com
Quoteworthy:
“Despite being suspended from competition until July 5, 2008, the suspension will have no bearing on Franca being able to corner fighters. Hermes stressed the importance of being able to corner his fighters to the commission and the commission ruled that the suspension will have no affect on him obtaining a corner-man’s license.”
For more background information on Franca testing positive for the banned illegal anabolic steroid known as Drostanolone following his unanimous decision loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 73 click here.
Written by admin on August 6th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 73 and Sean Sherk and UFC Lightweight Division and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
“At the present time I cannot explain the positive drug test in Sacramento California. I know I have never used any steroids or any other banned substances, I am investigating possible causes of my positive test with my attorney. I have never cheated, all of my success has come from hard work and dedication to my sport!”
– UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk passes along an official statement via his MySpace page regarding his testing positive for steroids after his unanimous decision win over Hermes Franca at UFC 73. “The Muscle Shark” will appeal the finding at a hearing before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) on August 6. For more details head over to Sherdog.com.
Written by admin on July 23rd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 73 and Sean Sherk and UFC Quick Quotes and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk will appeal his fine and suspension for testing positive for a banned substance (steroids) following his five-round unanimous decision win over Hermes Franca at UFC 73: “Stacked,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
His hearing before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is slated for August 6. After the hearing concludes and a final ruling is issued, UFC President Dana White will decide whether or not to strip Sherk of his 155-pound title.
If the finding holds up, it is more than likely that the UFC will be left with no other choice other than to take the belt away from Sherk — he has been suspended for one year by the commission.
Back in 2002, then-UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids after he defeated Randy Couture to become the youngest champion ever in the division. He was later fined, suspended and stripped of his title.
Put simply, history is not on the side of Sherk on this one.
There are several readers here and elsewhere clamoring for a lightweight tournament to crown a new champion if Sherk is stripped. It’s a fantastic idea. However, it’s important to point out that White has said in the past the he “hates” them.
In fact, after then lightweight champion Jens Pulver bolted the organization in 2003, the UFC coordinated a tournament that included the top 155 pound fighters at the time (B.J. Penn, Din Thomas, Matt Serra, and Caol Uno) to declare a new champion.
In the finals, Penn and Uno fought to draw. Afterwards, the division was scuttled and didn’t return until last year.
Will we see it again? It would certainly help invigorate a division that has taken a serious hit. And, the lightweight division is absolutely loaded, making for some incredible action.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens on August 6. But, in the meantime, it’s fun to dream about how to make lemonade out of the steroid lemon.
Note: Franca, who also tested positive for steroids, will not appeal his year-long suspension or $2,500 fine.
Written by admin on July 20th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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“Our policy on fighters using steroids, illegal drugs or any banned substance remains the same - you cannot use them. It’s not only unhealthy and unsafe, it is against the law. The UFC fully supports the commission’s efforts and we will continue to take measures that keep this sport clean and keep the athletes safe.”
– UFC President Dana White takes a firm stance via UFC.com regarding the bombshell findings from the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) that emerged in the wake of UFC 73 — UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk and his opponent, Hermes Franca, tested positive for steroids. There was no word on whether or not Sherk, who has been suspended for one year, would be stripped of his title. But Steve Seivert over at Brawl Sports feels he needs to do that and much more as soon as possible.
Written by admin on July 19th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca and UFC 73 and UFC Lightweight Division and Dana White and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and UFC Quick Quotes and MMA.
I’ve been busy today with a few MMA-content related things I’ve been working on so I haven’t been keeping up with things like normal. But as soon as I took a break and did some surfing one of the first things I saw was a report on MMAWeekly.com that both Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca have failed drug tests administered by the California State Athletic Commission related to their title match at UFC 73.
According to MMAWeekly.com, Sherk tested positive for Nandrolene Metabolite. The article goes on to state that the normal level of Nandrolene range from 2 ng/ml to 6 ng/ml. Sherk’s reported level was 12 ng/ml.
Ouch.
He’s been fined $2,500 and suspended for a year. There is no comment available from Sherk or the UFC in regard to this story and there’s no word as to how the situation will he handled in regard to Sherk’s possession of the UFC lightweight title.
Franca actually contacted MMAWeekly.com with a statement announcing that in the next few days, CSAC will reveal drug testing information from UFC 73. In the letter he states that he indeed tested positive and claims that he used steroids eight weeks before his fight to treat an ankle injury that he had sustained.
Franca reportedly tested positive for Drostanolone and has been fined $2,500 by the commission and suspended for a year.
You can read Franca’s contrite and candid statement by clicking here.
Written by admin on July 19th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 73 and Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk and UFC and MMA.
By Jesse Holland
UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk tested positive for Nandrolone Metabolite following his bout at UFC 73: “Stacked,” according to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
Sherk has been fined $2,500 and suspended for one year (effective as of July 7).
Nandrolone levels can range from 2ng/ml to 6ng/ml depending on the person and the level of activity. Sherk tested positive on both samples at 12ng/ml.
I said a lot of great things about Sherk leading up to this fight. Now I have to take them all back.
Sean Sherk, like every other doper or cheater, has betrayed his fans and his sport.
That’s not all.
Earlier today, Sherk’s opponent that evening, Hermes Franca, contacted MMAWeekly to apologize for testing positive for Drostanolone.
Franca, too, was fined $2,500 and has been suspended for one year.
Here’s the public apology from Franca:
“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”
While he certainly provides a sincere apology, I have a difficult time feeling the least bit sympathetic.
He talks about fighting being his love, his entire life, yet betrays it by cheating in a championship match.
He also cites desperation stemming from his financial difficulties. He is afraid of losing the winning purse that would support his family yet costs himself - and them even more in the long run by damaging his career.
I’m at a point where it just doesn’t matter what the reasons are anymore. Whether or not you agree with his reasoning taking drugs to help you in a fight is against the rules.
And when you break the rules you are cheating.
I used to make fun of my friends who are baseball fans. I guess nowadays they’re getting the last laugh.
Sherk was penciled in to defend his title against BJ Penn in November of this year. Unless he appeals and this finding from the CSAC is somehow overturned, it looks like that bout is no longer on the table.
Furthermore, it could set up yet another championship bout for the vacant 155-pound title if the UFC decides to strip Sherk of his strap.
Stay tuned.
Written by admin on July 19th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 73 and Hermes Franca and Sean Sherk and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
Our own Jesse Holland returned to Fight Talk Radio over at BetUS.com yesterday. He talked in-depth about the current state of the UFC including the post-73 aftermath.
Also stick around for UFCmania friend and collaborator Luke Thomas from BloodyElbow.com during the second half of the show.
Check it out here when you have some time.
Written by admin on July 14th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 73 and Jesse Holland: Eight Sides to Every UFC Story and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
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