Jiri Prochazka has come to know the United States Anti-Doping Agency uncomfortably and excessively well in 2022. Prochazka had a meteoric rise in the UFC, capturing the light heavyweight title in just three fights, but even that is eclipsed by the undesirable USADA record he set this year.
Prochazka has been tested a jarring 64 times by USADA in 2022 to date, by far the most of any athlete in any sport. Cyclist Lauren DeCresenzo came in second with 29. The next entries by mixed martial artists are Ariane Cristina Carnelossi and Paulo Costa at 20 apiece. Kamaru Usman was the first UFC fighter to receive a celebratory jacket from USADA for completing 50 clean drug tests. It took Usman six years to achieve the feat.
"Man," Prochazka said with a chuckle when CBS Sports read out the statistics.
Check out the full interview with Jiri Prochazka below.
The number of tests USADA administers to Prochazka appear to have tapered off after he vacated the UFC light heavyweight title in November due to injury. Prochazka and his management have inquired many times about the unusually frequent tests but were essentially told tough luck.
"I spoke with them many times through my manager," Prochazka said. "All the time they [say that] they can do that, so let's do that. It doesn't matter. I don't know if that was something to make me feel pressure, to make pressure for me, but it doesn't matter. For me, it doesn't matter."
USADA updated their database over the weekend. They have tested 3,286 athletes across 72 sports this year with a total of 11,001 samples. The UFC accounts for 38% of all athletes tested.
— Andy Hickey MMA (@AndyHickeyMMA) December 19, 2022
Below is a holistic view from USADA's 2022 pool of athletes. pic.twitter.com/pohwBIRkfH
USADA-tested athletes are required to regularly update their whereabouts and undergo testing at a moment's notice. Many fighters have horror stories about the awkward or inconvenient circumstances during which they were asked to submit a test. Prochazka couldn't even enjoy a concert without being asked to draw blood and pee in a bottle.
"I was at a concert," Prochazka said. "They came to this event and they had to test me. I went with them and gave them all the blood and urine. Then I came back to enjoy the party."
Prochazka was given a six-month timetable to recover from a serious shoulder injury. He expects to fight the winner of Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill, who compete for the vacant light heavyweight championship at UFC 283 in January.
