Today, the combat sports world, along with the baseball community, comes together to mourn the loss of a figure once closely tied to the sport through notorious doping scandals. We are remembering the dynamic and controversial businessman Victor Conte, who sadly lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 75. Despite his turbulent past, Conte cemented his legacy before his final breath, gaining recognition for his anti-PED advocacy and his work as a boxing nutritionist through his company SNAC System, which provides supplements, training camps, and other collaborations with athletes.

Over the years, Conte gradually became a prominent figure in boxing, serving as “camp chief” or guiding athletes such as Terence Crawford, Devin Haney, Claressa Shields, and others. Devin Haney, one of the elite fighters who had long worked under Conte’s SNAC System banner, confirmed the news of his passing.

Devin Haney and Ariel Helwani pay tribute to Victor Conte

“RIP Victor Conte. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.” wrote Devin Haney on X, paying tribute to the businessman. And rightly so. After serving his prison sentence, Victor Conte went on to collaborate with leading anti-doping organizations such as WADA and VADA, names that hold significant influence in the industry. Meanwhile, the senior journalist Ariel Helwani speak on his livestream show, recalling Conte’s “major scandal” in the late ’90s involving PEDs.

Speaking of that, Helwani said, “You have all heard of Victor Conte, right? I just saw that he has passed away at the age of 75. He worked with the likes of Andre Berto, Nonito Donaire, Andre Ward, Zab Judah, and others. It was worth mentioning how big of a player he was in baseball with the Barry Bonds BALCO scandal. Definitely a what’s the word, somewhat polarizing figure. To be fair, he was influential not only in baseball but later in combat sports as well, and he sparred with some promoters and fighters back in the day.”

In addition, Helwani further paid tribute, saying, “may he rest in peace” and sending “condolences” to the Victor Conte family.

Despite his troubled past, today’s Conte was a changed man. While he was once infamous in the sports world, he had provided legal supplements through his BALCO company, but also distributed banned substances to high-profile athletes across baseball, track and field, and boxing. As a result, federal agents raided his laboratory in 2003.

Conte later pleaded guilty in 2005 to distributing steroids and money laundering, which resulted in 4 months in prison, along with house arrest. After his release, Victor Conte dedicated himself to a new mission: transforming the world of sports.

Throwback: Victor Conte reflects on his past and opens up about his mistakes

After serving his prison sentence, Victor Conte worked tirelessly to rebuild his image and promote clean sports. In line with that effort, he founded SNAC in 2011 in San Carlos, California, which provides boxing and sports training programs. However, despite these efforts, Conte’s past continued to cast a shadow over his reputation. Critics often questioned his alleged past involvement with doping in sports and his collaborations with boxers.

However, Victor Conte fully accepted responsibility for his actions. Looking back on his journey, he told Reuters in 2016, “In my own mind, it is a small form of restitution. I caused a lot of damage, I harmed a lot of people, I’m trying to help others not go through what happens when you go down that slippery slope. I accepted full consequences and went to prison.”

While he dedicated himself to combating PEDs, he still faced challenges in fully restoring his public image.  Earlier this year, in June, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 74. Now, just a month later, with Victor Conte no longer with us, we extend our prayers and condolences to his family during this difficult time.