Tito Ortiz believes steroids should not be allowed in bodybuilding or any other sport.
Bodybuilding often gets criticized in the mainstream media for steroid use and lack of testing in the sport. Yet it’s important to note that other sports have their own problems with steroids – even with testing. MMA in particular has various federations that drug test their athletes – and there have been multiple times where an athlete has failed. The sad truth is that many athletes across all sports find ways to game the system. That’s why when we spoke with UFC Hall Of Famer Tito Ortiz, we wanted to get his opinion on drug testing in not only bodybuilding but sports overall. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Tito Ortiz explains why he thinks steroids have no place in any sports including bodybuilding.
Tito Ortiz is a powerhouse name in the MMA world. He is best known for his time in the UFC, where he is a former Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Ortiz was one of the MMA’s early stars and ultimately became the biggest pay-per-view draw of 2006 for his fights with Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Ken Shamrock.
We asked Tito Ortiz if he felt steroids and other performance enhancing drugs had a place in MMA and other sports. Without deliberation, Ortiz made it clear he was against steroids and PEDs in any sport. He finds it to give athletes a disadvantage and ultimately a health risk that isn’t worth it.
It might be easier to hold that opinion for a sport like MMA – where strength is a major factor in the competition. If you use PEDs to become stronger than someone in a fight, that can certainly be seen as unfair. But what about bodybuilding? A sport that is about the judgement of a physique and not a face off of physical ability. Does Ortiz draw a line for certain sports and not others?
We use an example here of testosterone. If a bodybuilder is naturally testosterone deficient compared to another – it could perhaps be considered more fair to allow PEDs so that the athlete can get an even chance against a genetically gifted bodybuilder. Tito Ortiz doesn’t agree. He thinks that an athlete needs to be aware of what they are getting into when they dedicate their life into a sport. If a bodybuilder cannot step up and try to fill that gap without the use of drugs – perhaps that’s just their lot in life.
Tito Ortiz further explains the kinds of risks that bodybuilders take when they decide to use PEDs and steroids to enhance their physique. He thinks there is a risk of young people watching bodybuilding or any other sport and idolizing steroids. That risk is not seeing the long game. They only look at the big bodybuilders or the powerful athletes. They don’t see the aftermath in their later years. Ortiz goes on to say that most bodybuilders who use PEDs in their prime look like “skinny broken down old men” by the time they hit sixty.
Do you agree with Tito Ortiz’s take on bodybuilding and steroids? Watch his full comments in our GI Exclusive interview segment above and let us know your thoughts!