Rich Franklin admits he’s talked to doctors and athletic commissions about taking testosterone replacement therapy
Former UFC middleweight champion, Rich Franklin has today admitted that he’s considered and even talked to doctors and athletic commissions about taking testosterone replacement therapy, explaining his current levels have dropped somewhat from when he was a 25-year-old prospect.
Speaking via MMAFighting.com, Franklin said:
“Yeah, I’ve kicked around that idea and everything, and actually I’ve talked to doctors that work with the UFC and the athletic commission in Nevada and all that kind of stuff. And at 37, my count obviously is not what it was when I was 25, and I’m a candidate for that kind of stuff. I haven’t started yet. I’m not sure if that’s something I want to do or how I want to approach that, because TRT is … once you start that process it’s a permanent fixture. Once you start putting those hormones in your body — those synthetic hormones — then your body is not going to produce its own hormones any more, and so you really have to think carefully. My levels are still decently healthy for a male, but they’re not high enough to continue a prolonged career at a top level for many more years.”
“I’m sure that there are people that find ways around things, and cheating and all that kind of stuff but that’s just a natural thing. The only way to really, really, really cure something like that is to have a 100 percent zero tolerance policy on these kinds of things, but it’s just impossible across the board, because this is how sports operate.”
Franklin’s bout with Wanderlei at UFC 147 will mark a number of milestones for the former champion who hasn’t been seen at middleweight since his 2008 win over Travis Lutter. He also has taken over a year off due to shoulder surgery, with his last fight coming at UFC 126 where he lost a unanimous decision to Forrest Griffin.
By Michael Pepper. (Follow me on Twitter)
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