Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum was recently handed a two year suspension by USADA for a failed drug test earlier this year.
The Brazilian fighter was allegedly offered an opportunity to snitch on fellow fighters by USADA for a potentially reduced sentence, but it was an offer Werdum turned down.
“What surprised me the most was at the end of the interview, it was something that I found absurd,” Werdum told Combate. “They said, ‘Werdum, here’s the thing: If you tell on someone …’ It was what you could call ‘delacao premiada’ (plea bargain). ‘Werdum, if you tell on someone’ – using the slang, if you’re a snitch – ‘we’ll shorten your suspension. Because you’re going to have to pay something. Even if we find the substance in any of the products we test, even if we find it, you’ll have to pay something.’ For the guy to make me an offer like that, to snitch on someone, that goes against my principles. I can’t tell on someone. Even if I knew, I wouldn’t do it. How am I going to snitch on someone to make it better for me, to lower my suspension or whatever?”
Snitching has been the buzzword recently in the MMA world, especially with former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones reportedly becoming a USADA snitch, something Jones’ manager denies.
Werdum said the whole ordeal with USADA made him felt like a criminal in the end.
“I felt like a criminal, actually,” Werdum said. “I know I didn’t do anything, but it felt like I was a criminal, like (I was talking to) the police. Two USADA guys, a detective analyzing me all the time. Both were USADA. I felt so bad, you know? Like, I didn’t do anything. Why am I doing this? And it lasted five hours. There even came a point when they were like, ‘Werdum, let’s rest a little. Do you want to rest?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t want to rest. I want to answer whatever you ask – I have nothing to hide.'”
Since Werdum’s suspension from USADA is retroactive, it will allow the former heavyweight champion to compete again in May of 2020.
