Elias Theodorou: ‘I’m fighting for medical equality’
Read Time:5 Minute, 24 Second
In 2015 the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) teamed with the UFC and started enforcing drug testing on fighters, to ensure that the Octagon is an even playing field for all fighters that step into it.
USADA rightfully flags fighters who test positive for PED’s (performance enhancing drugs), and those fighters are then fined and/or suspended. This was monumental for the UFC, and when it comes to a sport like MMA, it is crucial that neither fighter has an advantage over the other because of a steroid or other PED. However, one of the substances that is prohibited by USADA is one that UFC middleweight Elias Theodorou is fighting for his right to use.
This year USADA permitted the use of CBD, but Elias is fighting to use THC. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is one of 113 cannabinoids known as Cannabis. He is fighting to use THC, because it helps medicate some of the physical ailments he has. While it is great that CBD is permitted, Elias is fighting to get THC permitted as well.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Elias about his fight to use medical marijuana before his fights.
Elias Theodorou suffers from bilateral neuropathic pain, “It basically means nerve damage to my upper extremities, my elbows, my wrist, and my shoulders are in constant pain.” For fighters, obviously their elbows, wrists, and shoulders are pivotal to their success in the Octagon. However through THC and medical marijuana, Elias is able to handle his symptoms and train at a high level. “It’s through medical cannabis that I’m able to medicate and actually treat it,” says Elias.
So what does this mean in terms of USADA?
Well, Elias is allowed to use cannabis to medicate out of competition. “The UFC is very progressive in that aspect, they only look at it in competition.” Which means he is permitted to use cannabis until the last month of training when USADA starts testing him for cannabis. “What I’m mostly arguing is that it’s kind of backwards, that’s the hardest part of a fight.” He continued, “The last month is when my body is sore and tired from going through a full training camp.” Fight camps are always incredibly stressful on the body, and it causes Elias’ condition to flare up. He endures another fight during his fight camps, and that is simply the fight to make it to fight week 100%.
“I will not be under the influence in any way shape or form the day of, I’m looking to get through the training,” says Elias. He is looking to use it up until the weigh-ins, fight, then medicate the next day. However there is a bit of a stigma attached to cannabis where people assume that people use it to get high. However Elias is looking to use it to medicate in order to get through training. While it can provide a high, Elias is looking to use it for its health benefits. Not it’s recreational benefits like some users do.
Under USADA classifications THC is listed as a PED, however the chemical gives the fighters no advantage whatsoever, and is used to treat certain medical issues in fighters. Elias is looking for a change in terms of what THC and medical marijuana is classified as. If a drug test comes back positive, he could receive a suspension of six months, however a fighter with opioids in there system even on the day of the fight would receive no repercussions whatsoever. “It’s not looked at as medicine, all I’m looking for is medical equality,” says Elias.
Elias has been very vocal about breaking the stigma surrounding cannabis, and mentioned it several times in our interview. He made a comparison while we discussed that stigma that is a very interesting thought, “This is almost the same stigma I noticed with MMA, it’s something I see parallels with”. Of course when the UFC was created it was seen as an outlier in sports, and had to fight to break their own stigma to be seen as a sport. The same thing is currently happening with medical cannabis, it is stuck with a “drug” stigma and he is fighting for it to be seen as medication.
Elias is from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada where medical cannabis was legalized on October 17, 2018. Elias viewed that as a win, and felt the need to be an advocate from the start, “I almost felt obligated to come out of the shadows of prohibition,” says Elias. He intends to keep pushing in his fight with USADA stating, “I am being told to use opioids, USADA has a whole anti-opioid campaign. The left hand is not necessarily talking to the right hand in that case.” However while he was judgemental, Elias also praised USADA and what they did for the sport. “I’m a huge believer in everything USADA does.” He continued, “When USADA and UFC partnered together it was actually one of the happiest days I’ve had as a UFC athlete.” He goes on to say that he wants a clean sport and was “proud” of his employer for doing the right thing.
To close out the interview, I talked to Elias about his homecoming at UFC 231 and his upcoming fight at UFC Ottawa against Derek Brunson. He told me that he obviously felt a bit of pressure, but winning in front of his hometown was huge. When I asked him how it felt to fight in front a hometown crowd he said, “I’ve fought all over the world but being back home was almost like full-circle for me.”
He fought Eryk Anders, and the fight was up there on his highlights as a figher. Elias said, “It’s one of my biggest fights professionally, personally, but also spiritually and developing as a fighter.” Elias won a split decision against Anders, who Elias says was 20-pounds heavier before the fight. “I weighed in at 203, he [Anders] weighed in at 223,” said Elias. You can watch “The Mane Event” fight at UFC Ottawa, on May 4th at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
It’s evident that Elias can’t wait to fight in front of another hometown crowd. “It mean’s the world,” said Elias. “I fought in Ottawa last time when they sold out and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
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