Former UFC and Bellator fighter Chael Sonnen is weighing in on what makes EPO useful as a PED.
T.J. Dillashaw was suspended for two years by USADA for EPO use. He will return to action this Saturday night (July 24). Dillashaw will meet Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 32.
Dillashaw has downplayed the EPO use but Sonnen has quite a different view. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Sonnen explained why he was big on taking EPO as a competitor (h/t Bloody Elbow).
“EPO, of all the performance enhancers, I will tell you, personal experience here. I’m an expert in performance enhancers — for all the wrong reasons — but an expert nonetheless. EPO, without question, is my favorite.
“I felt I’ve taken everything. I’ve gone into GNC’s or health stores and tried everything on the shelf on the off chance that something would work — and it doesn’t. They’re all junk. None of that stuff anywhere on those shelves works. But the same is true with performance enhancements, you’re not going to get a bump on all of them.”
Sonnen went on to further discuss what exactly EPO does to the body.
“It directly affects your cardiovascular output. It’s not going to make you bigger, it’s not going to make you leaner, it’s not going to make you stronger. It’s going to give you more endurance.
“A guy that takes EPO, particularly in training, can now just train longer. He can hit the bag that many times more. He can jump that rope many times more.”
What’s your take on Chael Sonnen’s insight into EPO?
