I'm all in favor of the UFC supporting the ACs in out of competition testing and enforcing serious punishment on anyone that tests positive for PEDs. However, the ACs should develop some type of system where athletes can test any supplement they may consider taking, and the UFC should help fund it. A simple check and balance mechanism where the fighters and athletic commissions are open with each other seems to make sense to me.
Transparency is a good thing, and if fighters are open and up front about what they ingest it should lower the incidence of PED use. Sure, people will always try to be one step ahead and if enough money is involved people will skirt around it, but there are working models out there to draw inspiration from. The Tour de France has the authority to analyze blood samples years after races have taken place. I would like to think it's not such an incredible financial burden that the Tour de France can afford this protocol but the UFC and MMA industry in general can't provide financial support to the ACs.
Do you see any major roadblock to something like this?
They wouldn't have to review everything - just what a fighter wanted to take.
The providers can and will change ingredients at any given time, sure. They already do this. There are "designer" substances out there specifically engineered to skirt detection in WADA/AC tests - this was especially highlighted during the BALCO scandal. But there are a few things offering up a testing system will do - eliminating the ability of a fighter to claim ignorance on what they are ingesting, eliminating the confusion of a fighter wondering if they are allowed to take a substance without having to foot the bill of testing that substance on their own, and creating more transparency within the sport itself.
The funding can be subsidized by the UFC...you know, like they are doing with out of competition testing.
I don't disagree with the fighter being responsible for what he puts into his body - this solution helps the fighter by allowing them to know beforehand if they are taking a banned substance.