The recent Ultimate Fighting Championship drug controversy involves whether cocaine should be treated as a performance-enhancing drug.

UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones tested positive for cocaine in an accidental drug test before his title defense, but no punishment was handed down.

Cocaine should absolutely be considered a performance enhancing drug. Cocaine gives users “an increasing sense of energy and alertness, an extremely elevated mood, and a feeling of supremacy,” according to WebMD.

First of all, cocaine is a federally illegal drug, which means nobody in the country is allowed to possess the drug.

If the drug really does have the effects that users say it does, then the drug is a definitely an advantage. Based on the information given on WebMD, this will give the athlete a superhuman-like feeling.

The UFC has a big problem if it permits its athletes to use cocaine.  Even if cocaine isn’t performance enhancing, the Ultimate Fighting Championship should ban the drug completely due to the effects it can and will have on the individuals who use it.

Jon Jones went on to win the fight on Jan. 3 after the controversy with a plan to enter a rehab program afterwards. He entered the program, however the next day left the rehab facility stating that he was not addicted to the drug.

In all other American major professional sports, cocaine is on of the list of banned substances, not just because of the possibility that it may be a performance-enhancing drug but because of all that is known about the harmful drug. If the UFC actually wants to contend with the other major sports businesses like the NFL, NBA, and MLB they are going to have to clean up their sport.