Krzysztof Soszynski Believes 85 to 95 Percent of Fighters Use Steroids

[WrestlingSmarks News]

Dennis Hallman was in the news this time last year, though it had nothing to do with his choice of fight attire. Prior to his UFC 117 bout with Ben Saunders, Hallman told Inside MMA that he believed, at the very lowest possible number, 50% of fighters in the sport used steroids. He would later rescind those comments in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

This week, Krzysztof Soszynski told MMA Fighting that he believes that the number of fighters on 'roids is anywhere between 85 and 95 percent. He continued:

"I even had someone talk to me about stem cell injections. You're looking at stuff like EPO, and at least five or six different counterfeit drugs out there that people are using and they're not even detectable in the body. It's just amazing to me how far athletes are willing to go to make their mark in this sport."
...
"If there's a substance you can take out there that's going to make you bigger, stronger, more explosive, going to help you train harder, going to help you train longer, and it's going to help with your recovery as well, and you know if you take it the right way and follow the right instructions, you'll never get caught for it, wouldn't you take it?"

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Soszynski later denies using steroids for MMA, though he hints at prior use during his body building days. (""Back in the days when I was a bodybuilder, obviously it was a little different. But for mixed martial arts, I don't. I don't believe in it.") He also offers his thoughts on therapeutic exemptions (everyone or no one) and the necessity of random, out-of-competition testing.

Soszynski's numbers don't shock me. There's only a small handful of fighters I would be shocked to find out were doping, and the current testing situation gives a fighter every incentive to use.

MMA is in the same situation as baseball found itself at the turn of the millennium. A handful of guys speak about the general use in the sport, the media largely ignores the issue outside of positive tests, and no one names names for fear of being ostracized. B.J. Penn told Kevin Iole he believed (believes?) Georges St. Pierre is on steroids, and was subsequently brow-beaten into an apology.

If Soszynski's numbers are accurate, Penn could have thrown a dart at pictures on a wall and been right more often than not with his accusation against St. Pierre.