NSAC seeks stricter penalties in wake of Parisyan test results

UFC fighter Karo Parisyan went before the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, pleading for leniency in his recent positive drug test result following UFC 94 on Jan. 31. His test results indicated the ingestion of three Schedule II drugs, painkillers oxymorphone, hydromorphone, and hydrocodone.

Leniency was far from what Parisyan was granted. When all was said and done, he received a nine month suspension (retroactive to the date of the fight), was fined 40 percent of his $80,000 fight purse for a total of $32,000, must submit to random drug testing, and the result of his bout with Dong Hyun Kim was changed from a win to a "No Decision."

Not only did Parisyan learn his fate, but the Commission on Tuesday also revealed its intentions to possibly increase the penalty for a victorious fighter that has been found to be in violation of Nevada's prohibited substance regulations.

Commissioner John Bailey indicated that, at least in his opinion, fighters in violation of the prohibited substance regulations should not retain any portion of a win bonus. "I believe, at least speaking for myself ... in the future, should any contestant, boxing and/or mixed martial artists, be given as a part of their compensation a bonus. And if they find themselves in front of us on a disciplinary matter that involves the ingestion of a prohibited substance that the win portion of their compensation will be immediately forfeited, if they are found guilty, it will be immediately forfeited to the state, and then we will assess punishment, monetary punishment, on the remaining guaranteed portion of their contract."

That would seem to make sense, especially if the Commission goes so far as to overturn the outcome of a fight from a victory to a "No Decision." In changing the outcome of a fight, such as in Parisyan's case, the Commission is in essence saying that the fighter's violation effected the outcome of the fight sufficiently to cast doubt over the result.

It should be noted that the Commission made no decision on Tuesday as to whether or not to institute Commissioner Bailey's suggestion into action.