A UFC featherweight has claimed his blood was taken by someone he thought was a US Anti-Doping Agency employee – only to later discover they did not work for the organisation.
UFC athletes are subject to strict anti-doping measures, so Dan Ige thought he was being given a routine test when awoken early on Thursday morning by someone requesting his blood.
However, in a bizarre twist, Ige – who has won 11 and lost two of his 13 mixed martial arts bouts – alleges the person not only turned up at the wrong house but did not work for USADA either.
So pissed off someone came over this morning I thought it was @usantidoping @USADA_UFC they took my blood and everything and come to find out these people went to the wrong house address and did not work for usada WTF!!!!! 🤬🤬🤬 — Dan Ige (@Dynamitedan808) April 18, 2019
The 27-year-old Hawaiian further fears he could have been infected with a disease.
He wrote on Twitter: "So p****d off someone came over this morning I thought it was @usantidoping @USADA_UFC they took my blood and everything and come to find out these people went to the wrong house address and did not work for usada WTF!!!!!
"I'm so mad, and sure of this is my fault... When someone rings your doorbell six times at 6:30 AM saying they're here to take your blood I was just cooperating thinking it's USADA now I probably have aids."
Understandable that this process can become routine and at 630am you can be in a daze. But a good reminder to UFC athletes that USADA DCO's carry credentials that they should show you and you should verify before submitting to any sample collection. — Jeff Novitzky (@JeffNovitzkyUFC) April 18, 2019
A number of his fellow UFC professionals – including former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar – expressed their astonishment at the story.
The company's vice-president of athlete health and performance reminded Ige that doping control officers must verify who they are.
He responded to Ige, writing: "Understandable that this process can become routine and at 630am you can be in a daze.
The UFC has been in contact with Dan this morning, and while it looks like this sample collection was intended for a neighbor and completely unrelated to USADA or the UFC, we advised Dan to contact law enforcement and we will support Dan to track down the details of this mistake. — Jeff Novitzky (@JeffNovitzkyUFC) April 18, 2019
"But a good reminder to UFC athletes that USADA DCO's carry credentials that they should show you and you should verify before submitting to any sample collection.
"The UFC has been in contact with Dan this morning, and while it looks like this sample collection was intended for a neighbor and completely unrelated to USADA or the UFC, we advised Dan to contact law enforcement and we will support Dan to track down the details of this mistake."
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