Bocek (photo) recently retired from MMA. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
UFC veteran Mark Bocek recently retired from MMA at just 32 years old. And the Canadian went straight to the point when justifying his decision: for him, doping in MMA is out of control, so he wanted to leave the scene before getting a bad image of the sport.
According to Bocek, the issue in mixed martial arts is even more serious than the public thinks. “I think it’s worse than people realize. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as things stand, you deserve to lose if you don't use performance-enhancing substances these days. I thought it was cheating, but you can't call it cheating if everyone is using it. People get away with cheating in the Olympics, which has a much stricter test than the UFC, so you can imagine what people do in the UFC”, explained Bocek, in an interview with the North American website “MMA Junkie”.
Amid this scenario, Bocek stated that the decision to retire ended up being an easy one to make. “I'm a realistic person, and I think I could use all the performance-enhancing substances in the world and still be able to compete with the guys. But if I don't use it, it won't happen. I prefer to leave the sport with a good memory. I didn't want to leave with a bitter feeling, hating the sport. So I think the difference between me and others is that I'm a little more realistic. In the end, not everyone becomes a champion”, he commented.
Bocek had been a UFC athlete since 2007, having accumulated a record of 12 wins and five losses, having faced prominent names such as Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, Jim Miller e Rafael dos Anjos.
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