The UFC has agreed to take part in a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) pilot program, which could significantly affect blood collection procedures, as well as their frequency, in anti-doping efforts.
USADA officially announced the program on Thursday. It involves a technology named TAP, which is a small blood collection device that eliminates traditional, needle-reliant methods.
At this time, UFC athletes will be the only participants in USADA's pilot program. The new methodology is intended to be less painful for athletes and more cost effective.
"We all know that blood collections can be unnerving," said Dr. Matthew Fedoruk, USADA's Senior Managing Director of Science and Research. "This new device offers far more flexibility than existing blood draw methods, while advancing a painless collection method. Currently, around 10 percent of total samples collected from participating athletes worldwide are blood, due in large part to the complexities and expense surrounding blood collection procedures.
"If this pilot program proves successful, we believe this innovation will drive advancement in global anti-doping practices, making it easier for athletes to give, and anti-doping agencies to collect, ship and analyze blood samples around the world."
In an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast last month, UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky described the TAP methodology as "a leeching device," which draw a subject's blood from capillaries, rather than veins.
The blood is then applied to an index card and mailed to a certified testing laboratory. Traditionally, blood is contained in vials, which are required to remain at certain temperatures when shipped.
The UFC partnered with USADA to launch its anti-doping program in July 2015. According to its records, the agency administered 2,819 drug tests -- including blood and urine -- to 623 total UFC athletes. USADA is the official anti-doping agency in the U.S. for Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Sport.