UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub on his podcast ‘The Fighter and the Kid’ sees a link between the recent decline of some Brazilian UFC fighters (Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Machida, Renan Barrao etc..) and the UFC’s new PED testing policy which came into effect on July 1 2015.

The coach and manager Andre Pederneiras was not happy with the statement as Schaub suggested that José Aldo and Renan Barao , both trained by Pederneiras, would be two athletes who dope.

Schaub’s statement transcribed by Tim Burke for BE.

Schaub: Hey, real quick. I’m just gonna throw this out there. You guys can say what you want. I mean yeah, Demian Maia looked good, but…since this, uh…I might take some heat for this, but whatever. Since this drug testing, anyone notice the ol’ Brazilians ain’t doing too well? Ever notice the people, the ol’ South America ain’t doing too hot since this drug testing thing?

Callen: Brendan, are you suggesting that Brazilians are on drugs?

Schaub: I’m just saying, if there are disciplines of MMA for Brazilians, it’s (counting on his fingers) Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, steroids, boxing. I’m just saying. It’s weird. It’s weird.

Callen: Brendan, I’m going to ask you to be a little more fair in your critique.

Schaub: Okay, name a Brazilian who is doing well right now since the drug testing came out. Besides Demian Maia.

Callen: Demian Maia. And…other people.

Schaub: And this is why I’m taking Conor McGregor over Aldo. For this exact reason.

Callen: Are you suggesting that this great champion, Jose Aldo…

Schaub: No. I’m just saying it’s very fishy. Just look at Renan Barao. Didn’t look very good.

Pederneiras hit back with an open letter via Brazilian website Combate, pushing for stringent drug testing:

“I found Brendan Schaub’s accusations to be very serious. Before talking a bunch of crap, I think Mr. Schaub should get informed about the facts. When the new doping policy was announced to me by UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby, I asked him if the UFC could do it for Aldo’s fight (at UFC 189), with daily tests on Aldo and McGregor. I made this same request to Mr. Jeff Novitzky, responsible for UFC’s antidoping, that fighters were tested at least three times a week. And when I met Dana White the last time, I made this same request. So I ask the UFC, Dana and Lorenzo Fertitta again: test Aldo and McGregor at least three times a week, for three months before the fight, and I will pay for the costs, as I promised them every time I asked them to do this.

Accusing my fighters of doing steroids is, at least, jealousy for their results — results we never saw and will never see in your career, Mr. Schaub. Don’t try to throw dirt in clean person’s careers, people that worked hard throughout their entire lives. We have no fault for your failure as a fighter and athlete. I ask you to get back to your insignificance in this sport. Clean your mouth before mentioning a Brazilian or an athlete from my team, because the name of my country and my fighters can’t be said by mediocre people like you.

I find offensive to talk about the Brazilian and South American people since doping is there for anyone, not only for Brazilians. Your quotes make it look like no athlete from another country was ever caught, only Brazilians. And if some Brazilians were caught, they didn’t learn how to do it here, that’s for sure.

Accusing others several fighters with no base may sound prejudice for some. To be, it’s just jealousy of Brazilians. If we think about it, it’s really unbelievable what Brazilians can do: we have no training since kids, we don’t have adequate food in the infant stage which, as we all know, it’s the most important, we don’t have adequate supplements because we can’t buy it since it’s too expensive when it gets in Brazil, and much less investors who believe in the sport, and we still go to the biggest MMA promotion in the world and fight with athletes from any other country, and we win most part of the time. We’re still considered a third world country, and instead of talking trash, you have to respect us, because if you make money today in this sport, you have to thank my country and Brazilian athletes who created this sport.

After this frivolous and baseless accusation, I again ask the UFC, Dana White, and Lorenzo Fertitta to drug test Aldo and McGregor for three months, at least three times a week, blood and urine. I will pay all the extra costs that it might bring. After all of this, I don’t see how it won’t happen for this fight.

My name is Andre Pederneiras, I’m proudly Brazilian, and the only thing I ask every MMA athlete is to respect my country because if this sport exists today, it’s because Brazilians created it.”