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NJ Boxing Comm, Larry Hazzard: UFC and Tim Sylvia
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 10.14.2003 12:33 AM
BoxingInsider.com caught up with the commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic commission Larry Hazzard last week to get his thoughts on the UFC and the Tim Sylvia steriod case.
BoxingInsider.com Interview with Larry Hazzard
Boxinginsider.com: Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. I want to hear, first of all, your opening comments on Tim Sylvia, the UFC heavyweight champion testing positive for a banned substance earlier this week.
Larry Hazzard: Well, I think that Nevada will handle the situation properly. They certainly have a commission that has the professional expertise to deal with the situation. And it's no different than when a boxer tests positive for a controlled dangerous substance. The rules and regulations are already there, the state has their standard, and I expect that they will abide by that standard.
Boxinginsider.com: How should the UFC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission handle this case?
Larry Hazzard: First off, this is a situation which is going to be strictly handled now -- by the Commission. The UFC is pretty much the [??????] organization. I don't know if they themselves have any procedures or standard by which they deal with these situations but I know that the Commission does. And it is the Commission that regulates the event -- as well as the participants. So this, in my view, is a situation that's going to be handled by the Commission, not the UFC.
Boxinginsider.com: Realistically, what's going to end up happening to Tim Sylvia, in your opinion?
Larry Hazzard: Well, I don't know. That's a question you'd have to ask the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I'm sure that they have their rules and regulations in place and they will deal with the situation in accordance with their rules and regulations.
Boxinginsider.com: If this was in New Jersey could you please take us through the process of what would happen to him?
Larry Hazzard: Well, he would receive a letter stating that, as a result of his having tested positive for a controlled dangerous substance -- and we would specify what the controlled substance is or was; we would also explain to the individual what the punishment would be; and we would give that individual the right to a hearing. That's part of the legal process -- that each individual who is accused of anything has a right to redress. So they would have a specific amount of time to respond to our letter, either simply admitting to the violation or denying it and requesting a hearing to come in and give their side of the story. That's the process.
Boxinginsider.com: Can you please tell us about steroid testing and how the athletes are tested?
Larry Hazzard: Well, a urine specimen is taken from each athlete and it's taken to a laboratory and it's tested for certain substances.
Boxinginsider.com: Why don't they do the testing before the fight so fighters can't, for want of a better term, fight on 'roids?
Larry Hazzard: Well, just on the face of the issue, it would seem that that would be the easiest way to do it. However, you have to understand that it's not as feasible as it may seem. And, secondly, everyone is entitled to redress. This is a process that would be long and drawn out in many situations because if you test an individual, if you were able to get the results of the test back in time, then that individual would have the right to a hearing. All this could not be expected to occur in the short time between taking the samples and the event that would take place within a short period of time. You just could not do it. And we trust that the athletes are going to abide by the rules and regulations. But we do know that there are instances when they don't -- and this is just the best that we can do right now.
Boxinginsider.com: How do you think a scandal like this will affect the sport of mixed martial arts?
Larry Hazzard: I don't think that it will affect the sport that much in terms of the long run. It's just like in any other sport. But what we have here is a situation where an individual violated the rules as a result of controlled dangerous substances -- and he's going to have to take the consequences. It's the individual who's going to be affected more than the sport in the long run.
Boxinginsider.com: Yesterday Mr. Ratner told us this was really an exercise in education -- educating the fans, educating the fighters -- on the dangers of steroids. What is your opinion?
Larry Hazzard: I agree. I agree with Mr. Ratner. The athletes have to understand that we're not going to tolerate a violation of these very serious rules. The rules are there to protect the health and safety of the athlete and we have to enforce those rules. So I agree with Mark.
Boxinginsider.com: From a regulatory standpoint, what are the major differences between regulating the UFC and boxing? How is this the same and how is it different?
Larry Hazzard: Well, you have two different sports. But the basic regulatory policies and procedures are pretty much the same, in that they involve enforcing the rules and regulations that pertain to each sport. Now, certainly the rules and regulations are different in terms of ring rules. But the administrative policies are pretty much the same, so there's very little difference in the administrative processes -- although the enforcement of the specific ring rules are, as you can see, quite different.
Boxinginsider.com: What would be your message to states like New York and California that have yet to regulate mixed martial arts?
Larry Hazzard: Can you be a little more specific?
Boxinginsider.com: What would you tell them if they asked you, if they said, "Larry, you're the one of the first people to regulate this, we're kind of on the fence, how would you convince us this is a legitimate enterprise and not a blood sport?
Larry Hazzard: Well, what you see is what you get. That's the easiest or most direct way for me to... If you talk about a blood sport, it's no more of a blood sport in my view than boxing. You know, you have young men who are skillful at what they do, you have rules and regulations -- I do believe that in many ways the sport is as safe or even safer than the sport of boxing because of the tactics that are used. And I would encourage them to allow it in those states. I think it's good for business. I think that it has a very solid fan base. And I think that the sport can be regulated safely. So those are the things that I think that a Commission would be looking for when trying to make a decision as to whether they want to make the sport a part of their industry.
Boxinginsider.com: Finally, what are your final thoughts on this case?
Larry Hazzard: My final thoughts on the case itself -- we live in times now that are quite different from years ago, it's something that we just have to deal with like many of the other problems that we have in society. The world changes, athletes are different today, the rules of competition are different. But we just have to adjust, we have to stay vigilant in our efforts to regulate these combative sports in a safe fashion -- always keeping at the forefront the health and safety of the athletes because they are the most important to keep the industry growing. And at the same time we have to continue to try to educate these young men so that they will come to understand that we are interested in the pure athletic ability of the individual without any enhancements from drugs or any other outside forces acting into the event or the competition. So we just have to remain vigilant in our efforts to enforce the regulations and to continue to try to educate these young men.
Boxinginsider.com: Thank you very much.
This interview was conducted by Larry Goldberg.
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