The news spread like wildfire across the internet, throughout the MMA blog world, news sites, and online message boards. CSAC also released the names of eight fighters for each of the Affliction and ProElite cards who had already been tried and cleared of illicit deaden by narcotics use. Finally, Mr. Douglas announced that the remaining results would likely be announced on August 11, 2008. This last announcement created a virtual derangement, as fans and media members alike anxiously awaited the release, and watched it appear across news sites virtually simultaneously. Testing results, still, should not be treated as a staged event designed to obtain maximum anticipation and media coverage. The careers, reputations and lives of sundry athletes are negatively impacted, unnecessarily, by CSAC?sitting current disclosure policy.

With twenty-two (22) fighters appearing on the EliteXC card, and twenty (20) fighters on the Affliction card, fans fast utilized the disclosures made by CSAC to eliminate those fighters whose results had already been revealed. A total of twenty-five (25) fighters remained whose test results were pending. Rampant rumor and theory followed, with practically all of the remaining twenty-five fighters being linked, at one time or another, to steroids or other illicit drug use.

A much better mode of management, I be persuaded, would be to either (i) announce every common of drug testing results on one occasion, or (ii) respond to media inquiries by providing only the date that subsequent results will be announced. CSAC?s current practice unnecessarily creates tension for fighters, and leads to rumor and innuendo which is entirely unfair to the athletes who test clean. As well, fallacious positives can and do now and then take place. This fact, coupled with CSAC?s disclosure that additional positive results would be forthcoming, serves to disrupt the lives of the remaining twenty-five (25) fighters whose results had not yet been released. I see little benefit to CSAC in making the disclosures Mr. Douglas made to MMAweekly, and many benefits to the athletes, their families, friends and loved ones, in the government I suggested above.