Yoel Romero just beat steroids. No, I’m just kidding, he actually did steroids. But he did them unknowingly apparently. The proof? Romero won approximately $27 million in a lawsuit against Gold Star Performance Products yesterday.
According to Romero and his camp, the company gave him a contaminated product which was the result of his failed drug test in 2016. Romero was facing a 2 year suspension from MMA had he not won this case. It seems like everything is trending in the right direction for the middleweight goliath.
The use of performance enhancing drugs in MMA has been one of the most troubling issues the UFC has had to deal with in recent history. PED use was about as unregulated as possible a decade ago. Fighters were doping left and right, which made the game very dangerous for fighters who were not using PED’s. Fast forward a couple years, and the UFC strikes a deal with USADA (US Anti-Doping System) to help regulate PED use.
USADA took things to another level. Fighters started being popped for PED use everywhere. Johnny Hendricks, one of the best welterweights on the planet at the time and coming off what should have been a win against Georges St. Pierre, did not look like the same fighter we saw growing up. His power and speed were down dramatically. TJ Dillashaw got caught engaging in blood doping this year and now faces a 2 year suspension. Even Jon Jones, the greatest fighter of all time, got caught use performance enhancing substances.
The case against Gold Star Performance Products is a historic case. It represents an act of innocence in USADA’s purge of all PED users. As soon as fans hear ONE rumor about a fighter being linked with PED’s, that fighter’s reputation is immediately thrown out the window. This case vindicated Romero of all charges and questions concerning his morals and skill. He did take the performance enhancing drug, however he did so without having knowledge of it.
Now listen, I’m a BIG Yoel Romero fan. I just don’t want to hear it. Yes, he did take the performance enhancing drug, whether it was knowingly or unknowingly. However, does that mean that his performances in the octagon would be any less impressive? Hellllllll no. Romero’s game does involve a lot of explosiveness and power. But even without the PED affecting him, I believe Romero could replicate his performances inside the octagon, given his lifelong combat sports pedigree. He is the most dangerous fighter in the middleweight division, regardless of what is in his system.
“The Soldier of God” has officially become one of the richest fighters in UFC history. And its all thanks to steroids. See folks, maybe taking them isn’t so bad after all.
