Jones Takes Exception to Dan Henderson’s Testosterone Use

Quote :

At the ripe age of 25, UFC light heavyweight king Jon Jones
(Pictured) is still several years from even sniffing the prime of his
career. Dan Henderson, on the other hand. is just three days out from
hitting the big FOUR-TWO and will be packing Testosterone Replacement
Therapy in his back pocket for their UFC 151 shootout.

While Henderson has been the most vocal fighter taking the medically
prescribed treatment, the former Strikeforce champion marks the first
TRT patient Jones has ever faced (Quinton “Rampage” Jackson started his
regimen after his loss to Jones). While Jones hasn’t given too much
thought into the advantages Hendo might have from the controversial
drug, he believes any professional athlete who requires such extreme
measures to compete shouldn’t be inside the Octagon.

“That’s a pretty controversial topic, I’m not sure I should go there
or not,” Jones said during Tuesday’s conference call before detailing
his disdain for TRT and other PEDs. “Basically, I believe that if you’re
healthy enough to play a sport, you shouldn’t take any
performance-enhancing drugs or anything with testosterone. Fighters make
a lot of money in their 20s, they make a lot of money in their 30s, and
when they get in their 40s, unfortunately, you’re in your 40s. You
should fight the way you fight when you’re in your 40s. Switch your
style up to stay in the game.

“I don’t think you should be able to take a drug to pretty much give
you the strength of a 30-year-old again. That’s like me saying, ‘Oh, I’m
not as fast as I was when I was 20. Let me just take something to be 20
again.”

The cheater’s handbook for TRT suggests athletes are manipulating the
regimen while preparing for a fight. They will jack up their
testosterone levels beyond normal ranges in order to push their bodies
to its outermost limit. As showtime steadily approaches, they will then
taper off the treatment to get their testosterone back to a natural
level – therefore, no flunked drug tests.

It should be noted Henderson has never registered beyond normal
levels of testosterone or failed a drug exam. He has also never hidden
from his use of the drug.

Nonetheless, Jones professes au naturel is the only way to be.

“I think things like TRT and steroids should be for the sick or for
the normal people that really need the drugs,” Jones stated in closing.
“But athletes, if you’re an athlete, be an athlete. I don’t think anyone
should have anything that enhances them.”

source

Completely agree with Jones, as this has been my stance on TRT all along.

yep......

Heh ... I just got "double yellow cards" over in the PIT for going off on this topic a tad too enthusiastically. I agree with Jones and you guys apparently.

All Testosterone deficient fighters should have to fight with the body that nature gave them. If they can't fight anymore it is time to retire. Sooner or later one of these Testosterone deficient older men will get hurt bad in the ring and then we will be having an entirely different conversation.

Henderson says he has been taking TRT since 2007.... I wonder how his record would look without his current "medical" intervention.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but if this procedure is simply about getting your test back to a "normal" level, then why is it just the older guys getting it done?
Surely there must be at least a few 23-27 year-old fighters who are suffering from the same condition, right? Where are they? Why are they not suffering from this?
If its just a matter of getting back to "normal", and its not about gaining an unfair advantage, then it would be an issue with fighters of all ages indiscriminately, right?

Krieger wrote:

Henderson says he has been taking TRT since 2007.... I wonder how his record would look without his current "medical" intervention.

Similar IMO. I am no fan of TRT but I don't think it gives a massive advantage (although any advantage is unfair IMO and his TRT didn't stop Silva from kicking his ass when they are only 4 years apart in age) and most of Dan's wins weren't 5 round decisions which is where you will see a lot of the benefits of TRT. They also won't matter in this fight as I don't see Jones letting Hendo stick around for 5 rounds.