How well is the UFC regulated regarding the taking of performance enhancing drugs?

Haha... facial expressions. Alright.

First off the UFC doesn't normally do the testing and suspending of athletes. That's up to the state athletic commissions. Although they, the UFC, have tested fighters when overseas, for example Chris Leben popped possitive and has been subsequently suspended. If you're unsatisfied with the length of the suspensions, that's something to take up with the state athletic commissions.

Actually the California AC has come under fire in the past for their unsecure testing practices. Sean Sherk and Josh Barnett have both said that they popped an unfair possitive, with Barnett even providing a sample to an independent tester and coming back negative. The Sherk case eventually led to the resignation of the head of the commission, and a change in how they handle the samples, although they didn't overturn his sentence. Funny, though, they were kind of weak on James Toney right around that time...

Fighters come in all shapes and sizes. Kenny Florian doesn't have the build that Matt Hughes does. Fedor looks kind of like a cream puff. Anderson Silva's skinny. It seems to me that you're making a gross and inaccurate generalization of how MMA fighters look, unless you want to provide some examples of "facial features" and other things that make you think they're all on 'roids.

Here's the thing: the state athletic commissions generally test after a fight, with many doing random tests throughout the year. THEY are the ones who revoke the licences.

The training, and type of training, does make a difference in how the fighters' physiques look. Marcus Davis, a converted boxer, said that he had to change his workouts from his boxing days in order to better compete in the MMA game. Boxing and Judo are both primarily aerobic activities, while MMA relies on a lot of anaerobic fitness. Most of the excercise routines a fighter does includes technique training/sparring, plyometrics, and fast dynamic lifts. Boxers just do a lot of cardio and a lot of situps. They don't have to lift another body above their head, but an MMA fighter does. Hence different workouts, hence different body types. An MMA fighter will look more like an amateur wrestler than a pro boxer because they have similar workouts.

I still have no idea what you're refering to when you talk about facial expressions, but I will say that a lot of fighters have scar tissue on their face and ears. Wanderlei Silva looks more like a caveman with every fight, only because he takes so many shots to the face with those tiny gloves. Bareknuckle boxers weren't pretty-boys either.

The UFC as one of many promotions in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sport actually dose regulated its fighters exteremly well unlike MLB or the NFL if a fighter is caught using steroids he is suspended and he loses a % of his pay, fighters are check after each fight to c if they have used anything, the first incident that pops into my head is Chris "The Crippler" Leben , who had won KO of the night the fight before and had put on a great fight against Michael Bisping got suspended for 9 months and lost a large% of his pay, Sean Sherk was striped of his title after he tested positive ( there is alot of controversy behind this case since the lab testing was done in such a piss poor manner that no verification was possible)

there are many cases of the UFC actually inviting in Athletic commissions to test their fighters, however steroid testing overseas in Japan and other orgs i have read is a little bit more shady

I'm sad to say that i don't know much about UFC. I've seen some fights on tv but it didn't catch my attention to it. But i do hope that it must be well regulated since it is some kind of sport that is watch by young adults who idolizes some of the competitors.All sports must be regulated to insure fair fights,taking PEDS is more likely some form of cheating.And if you cheat,there is no honor in it,you won because of cheating.

First of all, as someone who has followed the sport of MMA for almost a decade, I'm of the belief that steroid use is absolutely rife. Most of the UFC fights take place in Nevada, and hence are subject to the same NSAC testing authority as many boxing title fights. The problem with this is that it then creates the assumption that, because a fighter has passed testing, that he is clean. I think Phil Baroni, amongst many others, is a clear example of someone who fought under in the UFC under the NSAC's gaze for many years, but who was blatantly juiced to his eyeballs.

Thiago Alves immediately springs to mind as someone who is pumped full of all kinds of PEDs. So obvious.

It's been said that any surprise steroid test isn't going to catch all the users; only the chemically uneducated ones. It's also been said that only a complete idiot would fail an announced steroid test.

The UFC regulates itself only when they go to, say, the U.K. In America, the UFC's fighters are tested by the State Athletic Comissions. And the UFC isn't afraid to come down hard on its fighters if they get caught. Former Lightweight champion Sean Sherk was suspended for a year by the Comission and the UFC stripped him of his title(though he continues to claim that the testing lab contaminated his sample); former Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia was suspended and stripped; Middleweight competitor Chris Leben just got suspended a little while back.

You say the UFC fighters look "almost un-human". Well, it's certainly true that many of them, Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Nogueira coming to mind, look like they fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down with their faces. But you have to remember several things. First off, most of these guys aren't going to win any beauty contests. Second, these aren't the primarily body-building looks that many pro wrestlers have; these are guys who compete for a living, who train not so their bodies can look sculpted and good, but because they need the muscular bulk to overpower or knock out other guys of commensurate size. The previous poster claimed Lesnar is an obvious steroid user, but if that's true, he's never been caught since his collegiate career. I for one consider that extremely unlikely, as he's been in the WWE, tried out for the NFL, and fought in Japan, where drug-based offenses are considered extremely major and serious, much moreso than in America.

While it is certainly possible for there to be PED use in the UFC, I would say it is extremely unlikely. The UFC is a privately owned company, and at times is run almost at the whim of President Dana White. He has repeatedly shown himself to be willing to give second, third and fourth chances to popular fighters, but he's always been just as quick to suspend or fire them for violating company policy. If for no other reason, the UFC probably monitors for PED violations very closely; they don't want to get tarred with a brush like the WWE did back in the day. Look at Barry Bonds; look at any number of professional athletes that use steroids. Not only do they become pariahs for "cheating", but whatever organization didn't catch them usually gets criticized for not being effective enough with their procedures. The UFC is a rising sport, and its growth potential is vast. All it would take to screw this up would be a big scandal about PED's, which is why the UFC is very strict about their testing.

UPDATE TO ASKER:

Hermes Franca, James Irwin, Sean Sherk, Kimo Leopoldo, Josh Barnett, Tim Sylvia, Chris Leben. That's seven out of several hundred fighters who've competed in the UFC testing positive, compared to how many in baseball, football, hell, even cycling?

To the jackass bashing Americans. Steroids where made during the ww2 area in Germany. In the Olympics most athletes who test positive for hgh are from Asia.

Yes UFC boxers obviously look different than boxers , thats because the majority of their traning is grappling , body on body contact, boxers just use their hands , mma fighters have to push around another guy at their same weight that kind of resistance right there is what makes them more bulky and muscular than boxers. Most UFC fighters are well versed in BJJ and Wrestling , which both have allot of body on body resistance, thats what makes them look more muscular than boxers. Even though the majority of UFC fighters are not that bulky.

Taking steroids is like eating apple pie to Americans, if you think Brock Lesnar is natural your a retard, even Leben was juiced and he's rubbish.

Quite a few US boxers have been known to take drugs as well.

Uppercut who runs the IOC? yes America. Also the states athletic commision doesn't do the tests themselves the promoter picks the athlete time and testing centre!

Tea, TNT, Tee off the Olympians. Listen T I have provided you with the best stuff on 31000 dockets this week alone. What am I tempted to take, compared to those tenderloin steaks, ostrich eggs and space bunnies. For 50 million I got the check, and the paddlewheel. Keep the rumors off of the business package, I will continue with the deliveries.

well it would seem you already have your mind made up.

I think it is well regulated. Yes other sports can be a permanent suspension but how many of them are there. How many did the MLB just issue. The fact that you just listed some big names that got fined, and suspended is pretty well proof enough for me. If you want to believe other wise that is up to you