Victor Conte estimates '50 percent' of MMA fighters use PEDs

09:57 AM ET 10.21 | The guy behind baseball home run king Barry Bonds' alleged performance-enhancing drug use thinks MMA has a serious substance problem. Victor Conte, founder and former president of BALCO, believes that "in the neighborhood of 50 percent" of MMA fighters are using some kind of PEDs, he said this week on UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan's podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience" (via MMAjunkie.com). Conte, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering in 2005, said BALCO and MMA crossed paths very early on. "Here's what I was told -- I don't want to create more multi-million dollar lawsuits against me, but here's the story that I was told -- [former co-worker Patrick Arnold] sold a whole bunch of [tetrahydrogestrinone, also known as 'The Clear'], like a gallon, to Bob Sapp, K-1 fighter," Conte said. "My understanding is this stuff was all over the NFL. I guess during this time he was out of the NFL, and there was a period of time when he played in the Canadian (Football) League before he went to Japan to do the K-1 fighting, but the point is this stuff was very widely distributed, was my understanding." Sapp is still competing in MMA, mostly overseas. He has never fought in the UFC.

New York Post