Rampage Jackson says he was injured leading up to his UFC 144 fight against Ryan Bader and that he nearly pulled out because of all his medical problems. However, he says he saw a UFC doctor who recommended he get testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to heal so he could keep the fight date. Rampage says he followed the instructions, took the TRT, and that it made him feel great.
“I never had surgery in my life. But I hurt this knee back in college, I hurt it before I fought Rashad and so I knew it was the same injury… a lot of fights when I am injured I don’t tell anybody but the UFC knew this time because my doctor works for the UFC,” Rampage told Fighter’s Only magazine. “It’s good that the UFC knew because they look after you, they take care of you even if its just in training. Pride didn’t do that.
“I almost pulled out but then I went to see the doctor and he told me to talk to an age-management doctor. So I went and talked to them and they tested me and said my testosterone was low; they prescribed me testosterone, to bring my testosterone levels back up to levels where I can be like … so that I am the same as young people, like when I was 25, and it would help build my knee up,” he said. “I hurt my knee like a month ago and I only did three shots of testosterone but it put a lot of weight on me, a lot of muscle on me but it healed me knee up good enough to where I could fight.
“It was hard for me to train, it takes time to heal, I couldn’t do certain things, but this was my first time ever using testosterone. I took what the doctor prescribed to me and I went to the pharmacy… I gave myself small doses and that **** immediately changed me, that’s why I am saying now I am not going to retire. I am not gonna retire no time soon, it’s just unfortunate that I got this injury.”
Based on those comments, you can clearly see how beneficial TRT can be to fighters. Now there’s another serious concern beyond a UFC doctor recommending a fighter get testosterone replacement therapy — Rampage says the UFC told him several fighters are probably using TRT but just keep it quiet.
“So I spoke to the UFC and they were like ‘yeah, a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone,'” Rampage explained in his interview. “Me, I keep it real, I am not doing anything wrong. It’s legal and I am not abusing it and I am not going over certain levels. From what I learned about it, when I got tested my levels my levels were really low and the doctor was telling me that athletes can burn testosterone.”
Not only are there concerns about unfair treatment by the UFC — guys like Nate Marquardt were punished for using TRT — but condoning hormone replacement therapy seems like you’re making things OK for steroid abusers. Most people who need TRT are those whose testosterone levels are low from steroid abuse. By allowing it, it seems like you’re allowing to steroid abusers to regain an advantage they shouldn’t have.
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