Junior Dos Santos on still being scared of USADA: “I won’t say it doesn’t bother me”
Junior Dos Santos is one of the best UFC heavyweights of all time and a former UFC World Champion, but last year “Cigano” had dealt with some major adversity outside the octagon involving UFC drug testing partner USADA.
In 2017, Dos Santos had been informed in what he thought was a possible violation from USADA but was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing as it was revealed he had consumed a tainted supplement after a hellacious few months into the investigations of his case.
Now in the aftermath of the crisis, Dos Santos fears at the notion of the situation happening all over again. In his mind he believes if it occurred once, it may occur again.
“I’m a very positive guy,” Dos Santos said in a fantastic interview with MMA Fighting‘s Guilherme Cruz. “I always consider the possibilities in a positive light, so I did expect to prove my innocence, but I was afraid. I was afraid that somehow, we wouldn’t get to the real result. I don’t know what’s USADA’s thought process and how they judge a situation like this, especially because it was not that hard to be solved considering the amount and the substance they found in me. But it wasn’t.
“I spent nine months out and it was horrible. The problem is that you’re found guilty before anything else. You’re found guilty until proven innocent. That only happens with USADA. The law says you’re innocent until proven guilty [laughs]. It’s a pretty bad situation and I don’t wish anyone to go through it, especially those who have done nothing. It affected me a lot, but I consider myself a strong person, both mentally and physically. I’m happy that it’s in the past and, God willing, won’t happen again.”
“I have a fight now, and every time [USADA] comes, I try to show them everything I’m taking. I show everything, because I’m kind of afraid. I don’t know. It happened once when I did nothing. God, forbid it happens again, so I get scared. That bothers me a lot.”
