If you get caught, you take your punishment (like Reem and whatnot) and you get on with your career. I think UFC taking a stance against drugs and having their own internal punishment system is the only reasonable solution at this point. It shouldn't affect the fighter's career or legacy.
It seems a massive assumption to suggest that you can be the best at a sport where you are competing with gifted athletes who use PEDs.
If I am competing with 50 people of similar weight/age/experience/training etc, and 20 are using PEDs, what are the chances of me breaking the top 5, or even the top 15 when it is physically impossible to train like them?
The odds of becoming a champ are even more slim. There is no point speculating who is clean because it is a waste of time, but the position of most fans shouldn't be harsh on the fighters.
Disappointment yes, but ultimately until testing technology becomes more evolved and cheaper (so that perhaps fighters will have some kind of ongoing monitoring as part of their license), it is just better to encourage more research and funding into this area, and accept that people will get popped from time to time and get a fine/suspension etc, which is enough.
As fans we should look at ways to encourage/develop/debate better testing (use of funds) and ignore the positive tests because they don't mean anything other than that PEDs exist in the sport.
Some would argue you can't be the best IF you use PEDs.
Not me, I kinda don't give a shit unless it comes off as a hypocritical move.
Only makes BJ Penn that much more impressive!!!
GOAT 
Whilst I am a huge Penn fan, I would not be surprised if with his funds and status he was able to enhance his training with ped's.
Even then I wouldn't hold it against him. We were all perfectly happy watching Pride and at this stage in drug testing technology we can only aim to help improve it, rather than criticise the fighters who simply need a bit of luck and a bit of planning if they are doing what the rest of the elite athletic world is doing.
many years ago when I was a student if someone told me caffeine was banned when I had my future at stake and I knew everyone was taking caffeine, you can bet your life I would've taken it too and tried not to get caught.
If I could guarantee none of my peers did it, it's a different story, however that can only happen in a few years or even decade if we apply an MMA analogy.
There are no high horses here, but it seems people are desperate to climb onto them.
stringtheory -shawarma - Whilst I am a huge Penn fan, I would not be surprised if with his funds and status he was able to enhance his training with ped's.
Even then I wouldn't hold it against him. We were all perfectly happy watching Pride and at this stage in drug testing technology we can only aim to help improve it, rather than criticise the fighters who simply need a bit of luck and a bit of planning if they are doing what the rest of the elite athletic world is doing.
many years ago when I was a student if someone told me caffeine was banned when I had my future at stake and I knew everyone was taking caffeine, you can bet your life I would've taken it too and tried not to get caught.
If I could guarantee none of my peers did it, it's a different story, however that can only happen in a few years or even decade if we apply an MMA analogy.
There are no high horses here, but it seems people are desperate to climb onto them.
Just no.
BJ never took anything, he barely took supplements lol.
Its universally known in the MMA world that BJ was publically against any form of performance enhancers.
I have to agree. Also, I think BJ's lack of PED use also helps to explain his "conditioning" issues.
You are perfectly entitled to believe that he doesn't. I am not targeting fighters, as I am a fan of many of them, especially Penn. I am against PEDs mainly due to fighter health as combat sports will likely shorten your lifespan anyway without any drugs.
I just think that with the amount of knowledge of sports, fitness, and supplementation in the MMA World, discussions should be geared towards how to clean it up, rather than who has failed a test, which can be anyone at any time.
For example, if every fighter had to have submitted monthly bloodwork for 6 months prior to any fight, and they sign a legal document that they can be sued for damages and penalised should they fail any retrospective test in the next 5 years, then it may help. (obviously this is just an example, but it's where discussions should lie. Arguments about GSP or Penn being better than Anderson because of the positive test aren't particularly productive).
(whilst costs are restrictive
*while costs are restrictive, bulk testing at various points in the future could save money in that example.
(apologies for the incomplete sentence)
Not necessarily true. Some guys' styles simply aren't as dependent on strength/speed/etc as others'. Also one guy might still be naturally physically superior to a guy who is using PEDs on cycles to beat the tests.
I would say, though, that while it's at least conceivable you don't need PEDs to be the best, you cannot be YOUR best without PEDs. You might be better than everyone else even if you don't use PEDs, but if you took PEDs, you'd be even better.
duckdentistry -I agree that bj most likely never used. If he did he was doing it wrong.stringtheory -shawarma - Whilst I am a huge Penn fan, I would not be surprised if with his funds and status he was able to enhance his training with ped's.
Even then I wouldn't hold it against him. We were all perfectly happy watching Pride and at this stage in drug testing technology we can only aim to help improve it, rather than criticise the fighters who simply need a bit of luck and a bit of planning if they are doing what the rest of the elite athletic world is doing.
many years ago when I was a student if someone told me caffeine was banned when I had my future at stake and I knew everyone was taking caffeine, you can bet your life I would've taken it too and tried not to get caught.
If I could guarantee none of my peers did it, it's a different story, however that can only happen in a few years or even decade if we apply an MMA analogy.
There are no high horses here, but it seems people are desperate to climb onto them.
Just no.
BJ never took anything, he barely took supplements lol.
Its universally known in the MMA world that BJ was publically against any form of performance enhancers.
I have to agree. Also, I think BJ's lack of PED use also helps to explain his "conditioning" issues.
Diaz could. 
"Its universally known in the MMA world that BJ was publically against any form of performance enhancers."
Everyone is publically against PEDs.
orcus - Not necessarily true. Some guys' styles simply aren't as dependent on strength/speed/etc as others'. Also one guy might still be naturally physically superior to a guy who is using PEDs on cycles to beat the tests.Hard to disagree with this.
I would say, though, that while it's at least conceivable you don't need PEDs to be the best, you cannot be YOUR best without PEDs. You might be better than everyone else even if you don't use PEDs, but if you took PEDs, you'd be even better.
BJ is a contradiction, because peds in BJJ are rampage, they do not even test.
Bj was called lazy because he couldn't train 3 times a day like these other guys. How do you think they are able to train multiple times a day for 6-8 weeks, plus strength training and conditioning?
orcus - Not necessarily true. Some guys' styles simply aren't as dependent on strength/speed/etc as others'. Also one guy might still be naturally physically superior to a guy who is using PEDs on cycles to beat the tests.
I would say, though, that while it's at least conceivable you don't need PEDs to be the best, you cannot be YOUR best without PEDs. You might be better than everyone else even if you don't use PEDs, but if you took PEDs, you'd be even better.
this is wrong guy like Lombard ruined there careers by taking PED's. like he's 5'9 he so short some guys juice to the gils not realizing it increase there weight class. People dont understand height matter's more then strength so when you go up in weight due to the juice you allow your self to run into taller opponent's.