Enhancing the Champ

The current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm has signed an endorsement deal with a supplement maker that sells products banned from the UFC and deemed illegal by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


Holm agreed to a 2-year deal with Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals. In an ad, Holm is seen next to 5 bottles of Hi-Tech products, 3 of which are advertised to contain DMAA, which poses serious health risks as said by the FDA. DMAA is an amphetamine-like stimulant and an unsafe food additive. DMAA is most commonly used in supplements promising weight loss, muscle building, and performance enhancement. It can lead to cardiovascular problems, including cardiac arrest. In 2013, US Marshals seized more than $2 million worth of dietary supplements that contained DMAA that were manufactured by Hi-Tech. But that has not stopped Hi-Tech from selling products with DMAA. The company is in litigation over the matter. DMAA is also on the list of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The UFC's administrator of its doping protocol is the US Anti-Doping Agency, which adheres to the rules and regulations of WADA.

Holm and her manager did not respond to several comments made by the media concerning her use of the product herself. Although Holm sponsors a company that sells products containing a banned substance, it does not mean she uses the supplements. It is not the first time Holm has promoted a banned product. During her fight against Ronda Rousey, Holm was sponsored by Intel Pharma, a company that sold products labeled as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMS). They were considered steroid alternatives. They were on WADA's banned substance list. Langdon Suggs, owner of Intel Pharma, said Holm and the company have parted ways.

Holm has been tested several times since the inception of UFC's anti-doping program in July. All of her results have been negative.