Hermes Franca - "I learned my lesson"

[The Iceman]

Credit To:UFCmania


Maybe honesty isn’t necessarily the best policy — not for Hermes Franca, anyway.

The Brazilian UFC lightweight fighter came clean (unlike his drug test) after his loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 73: “Stacked” last month, admitting that he had used illegal steroids prior to the championship bout.

He was later fined and suspended from competition for one full year by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). In addition, he is banned from cornering fighters during this time such as Kurt Pellegrino — his top student at The Armory training camp.

Meanwhile, during the same hearing before the CSAC professional boxer James Toney — who also tested positive for steroids in a recent fight — had his suspension reduced to six months.

Fair? Not according to this thread.

Perhaps the silver lining in all of this is that Franca isn’t complaining. He’s taking his punishment like a man and has accepted his punishment.

Luke Thomas and his partner at WhoopAss Radio recently conducted an audio interview with Franca about the story behind his steroid use, the CSAC decision and the upcoming lightweight fight between Pellegrino and Joe Stevenson at UFC 74: “Respect” one week from today.


It’s interesting to hear the reason he resorted to taking steroids.

According to Franca, he approached the UFC about pulling out of the fight because of an ankle injury eight weeks prior to the event. Delaying the return of Sherk — who was out almost eight months rehabbing a shoulder injury — wasn’t something that the UFC was to keen on doing, however.

So, Franca used the steroids hoping that it would help his ankle heal faster and, at the very least, allow him to keep training.

Acceptable? Absolutely not.

But, according to Franca, it’s the sad truth.


Link:http://ufcmania.com/2007/08/18/herme...-lesson-audio/

[baba]

CSAC reduces a boxers sentence to 6 month and tanks Franca for a year? I hope I'm missing something, cause thats some straight up bullshit.

[twankydawg]

Originally Posted by baba

CSAC reduces a boxers sentence to 6 month and tanks Franca for a year? I hope I'm missing something, cause thats some straight up bullshit.

I agree man, that's such a load of crap on so many different levels it's pathetic.

[scottsec]

Learned his lesson huh???? I doubt it...once a cheater always a cheater imo..

[Warchief]

Im not gonna buying what he said, i think he already knows that using an illegal substance is automatically illegal...not only that it can give him a bad image to the sports, but on the image of MMA Sports as well.

[Brutus]

"If you're not cheating, you're not trying" - Tito Ortiz

the suspension should be reduced.

[thumper]

This is a tough deal to keep a good outlook on.

I don't buy the 'once a cheater always a cheater' because with that thought process wouldn't it also mean if someone stole a soda pop they'd always be a thief? There's a difference of course, but the thought process is really the same.

I look down Franca for using, but I'm certainly not going to write him off as a lost cause. There is no excuse for using, he's been punished accordingly. So let the guy serve his suspension then let's see what happens. I will be happy to give him the benefit of the doubt once the time is over and he fights again. I wasn't crazy about the guy in the first place, but I don't have a bad attitude towards him now either.

I read his story about the UFC not wanting to push his fight back. Hey, that's not an excuse. he's challenging the champ. it's his responsibility to be there and be ready. It's not fair to push that back because it was a title bout. hell it makes the card. How would we feel if we puchased a ticket to a UFC event and they pulled the title fight from the card?

On the other hand, wasn't there two title fights that night? Could the card have sustained the hype without that fight? Good question. But I can't see there being a legit reason to push it back for Franca. Just like the NSAC the UFC has to establish a line. If they allowed anyone who's got an injury to push a fight back the cards would never be actually fought. His injury wasn't a broken limb or life threatening and if he could still pass medical on fight night there wasn't a reason to push it back. How many fighters do we know that fight hurt?

I think a year is fair. The punishment needs to be severe to be effective here. What a boxer got is irrelevant here. It has no bearing on the UFC at all. Would I prefer to see equal consideration? Sure, but we have NO idea what the backstory is on the boxer, and I didn't notice any response by the NSAC as to why they were different. If there's one out there I'm sorry. But I can't make a determination on something like that without knowing the whole story. That's no different than all the 'fighters don't get paid enough' threads where nobody knows what they're really getting paid.

So let's not let the judgement of a commission on an infraction of an athlete in a completely different organization cloud the judgement.

Do I believe Franca's story? Sort of. I think the events are probably real but I also think he exagerated some of it to lend justification to doping. I think the real story is a mix between what he said and what really happened.

what I hate is that some people start saying we should be lenient and others say what a stand up guy he is. How is he a stand up guy? he cheated and used a forbidden substance to artificially decrease healing time. I don't care what he says or what his reasons are. He's not a stand up guy for admitting it, he's a cheater that got caught. Let's not forget what happened here.

I don't think he's a cheater forever, I think he learned a big lesson. But I also am not interested in giving the guy credit for admitting it. You want to see a guy get credit for admitting? Have him stand up BEFORE getting caught and come clean. THAT i can see being respected. But it still doesn't change the fact that he did it.

[AlCarey]

Is a year too long or not long enough? I believe a heavy fine and year would be correct, but only for every fighter.

[SnakeD]

A year is too long, only because Toney(the boxer) got six monts, and has a prior positive test, albiet for coke. There neeeds to be uniformity in punishment. Seemingly random punishments only discredit the commisions. It seems like Franca is being punished for his honesty. If Sherk gets off, or retains his belt and win after a suspension, it will be more of a black eye for the sport than the recent positive tests.

[evilkane165]

look at it this way with the shape toney is normally in if he was to have to stay out of it a whole year he'd never be able to compete. sucks for franca tho but thats what he chose so no sympathy from me.