Rampage Jackson admits to testosterone therapy use before UFC 144, Brief overview of TRT controversy

Medical necessity or performance enhancing?

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According to an interview conducted by Fighters Only Magazine, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson utilized testosterone therapy prior to his UFC 144 bout with Ryan Bader in Japan. 

I almost pulled out but then I went to see the doctor and he told me to talk to an age-management doctor. So I went and talked to them and they tested me and said my testosterone was low; they prescribed me testosterone, to bring my testosterone levels back up to levels where I can be like...so that I am the same as young people, like when I was 25, and it would help build my knee up. I hurt my knee like a month ago and I only did three shots of testosterone but it put a lot of weight on me, a lot of muscle on me but it healed me knee up good enough to where I could fight.

It was hard for me to train, it takes time to heal, I couldn’t do certain things, but this was my first time ever using testosterone. I took what the doctor prescribed to me and I went to the pharmacy… I gave myself small doses and that shit immediately changed me, that’s why I am saying now I am not going to retire. I am not gonna retire no time soon, its just unfortunate that I got this injury.

I started hitting it up pretty good, I still gotta take care of my knee but I feel like a 25 year old again. My sex life changed, I was back to five times a night like when I was 25, straight up. I got stronger, lifting weights. I was never good at lifting weights but I was doing everything, pull ups and stuff, everything with my top half. I gained a lot of weight but I gained a lot of water as well, I never knew about testosterone putting weight on you like that. I had to cut weight [for the fight] and I cut 22 pounds out of the 30 I needed to cut, I just couldn’t make the rest. I couldn’t make the rest.

According to Jackson himself, he did disclose his testosterone therapy to the UFC, in an attempt to be straightforward and avoid any issues. He also claimed in the interview the doctor works for the UFC. 

So I spoke to the UFC and they were like ‘yeah, a lot of fighters are probably doing it but not telling anyone.’ Me, I keep it real, I am not doing anything wrong. Its legal and I am not abusing it and I am not going over certain levels. From what I learned about it, when I got tested my levels my levels were really low and the doctor was telling me that athletes can burn testosterone.

Click here to read the entire interview.

Testosterone replacement therapy is a controversial subject in mixed martial arts. On one hand, if a person has a legitimate medical issue that requires TRT, then that's fine. The problem with that theory is guys 45 and under--MMA fighters or the average joe--should not have low testosterone. Low testosterone levels have been linked as side effects of steroid use (or at times--steroid abuse). That's not to say Jackson has taken steroids, but this revelation on top of the past TRT controversies involving Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt, certainly raise red flags.