UFC 131: Vancouver Commission Announces WADA-Based Anti-Doping Testing Policy

The Vancouver Athletic Commission (VAC) today announced their plans for testing fighters for banned performance enhancing drugs, stating they have "engaged the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (the "CCES") to implement anti-doping testing for UFC 131 on Saturday, June 11, 2011, in accordance with the VAC’s Anti-Doping Rules.

In an issued press release the VAC notes "the CCES is responsible for administering Canada’s doping control program, and has worked closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency ("WADA") to promote the ethics of doping-free sport in Canada and worldwide since 1995.

"The CCES will be acting as the provider of sample collection services in connection with the event. Sample collection process will adhere to WADA’s International Standard for Testing, in respect of in-competition testing. Following sample collection, the CCES will coordinate secure delivery of samples to the WADA-accredited laboratory INRS – Institut Armand Frappier, in Laval, Quebec. Samples will be tested for all substances included on WADA’s Prohibited List, in compliance with WADA’s International Standard for Laboratories. Jurisdiction over results management will remain with the VAC, in accordance with the VAC’s Anti-Doping Rules," the press release states.

A copy of the VAC's anti-doping rules being employed for UFC 131 can be found here. A list of WADA-accredited laboratories in the Americas - and the only one in Canada - can be found here.

While WADA itself is not conducting the anti-doping tests, collections and procedures, the VAC is using the WADA-created "International Standard" for in-competition testing as well as WADA laboratories for testing samples.

CCES operates under recently-updated standards for anti-doping, all of which fall under the CCES-controlled Canadian Anti-Doping Program.