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“He’s Not a Golden Snitch” – Mike Tyson Defends UFC’s Jeff Novitzky

Published 11/08/2020, 7:44 AM EST

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Mike Tyson has recently connected with the vice president of UFC athlete and health performance, Jeff Novitzky, in his podcast. Prior to his high-voltage fight against Roy Jones Jr., Mike Tyson underwent medical tests to appear clean in the ring, and ‘Captain Hook’ has done the same.

That said, Tyson has hailed Novitzky for his contribution to keeping the combat sports community clean. Along with USADA, Jeff and his team undergo drug testing to ensure clean fights in the UFC. However, the vice president has been accused of having a “double standard” in the past by Lance Armstrong.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was reportedly tested positive for drugs before his rematch against Alexander Gustafson. Yet, UFC and Novitzky cleared him for the contest. That’s when Lance Armstrong dug into the conversation on the public domain.

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Novitzky ruled off these claims in an interview and billed Armstrong as the “biggest fraud” in the sports world. While many poised their support for Armstrong, today, Tyson feels that the 52-year-old has done a commendable job.

Mike Tyson says the UFC official is not a “Golden Snitch”

While introducing Jeff Novitzky in the podcast, Eben Britton tagged him as a ‘Golden Snitch’. In response, Tyson immediately protested and shared his thought over the whole scenario.

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He said, “No, that’s not a golden snitch. He is a discoverer of people that are doing devilish and wicked things. People that are hurting people physically.”

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Novitzky is one of the most skilled professionals in the UFC. He also looks for the best anti-doping programs for the promotion. While he has a controversial job with enormous responsibilities, Jeff Novitzky has proven to be one of the best, something ‘Iron’ Tyson also admits.

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He has worked with various global organizations on anti-doping. Before turning to the UFC, he has also served as an agent for the Food and Drug Administration, investigating the use of steroids in professional sports.

Meanwhile, Tyson didn’t go harsh on the athletes too. He said, “I don’t even blame the athletes. I can’t blame them. You know this is gonna give you a dream.”  No wonder the inevitable debate will continue to garner attention from several MMA elites and the entire fanbase,

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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