In July 2015, the UFC partnered with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to implement random year-round drug testing of its entire roster.

The program has been widely hailed as a positive landmark for the UFC, although that perception is not universal.

Speaking to ESPN's 5ive Rounds podcast, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir said he feels USADA's main goal is to produce positive tests -- even if that means casting such a wide net that it catches athletes who aren't seeking an unfair advantage.

"USADA is in the business of trying to catch as many people as they can -- trying to make the test as sensitive as possible," Mir said. "Even before the tests are plausible, [before they've] ruled out any other situation that could cause a false positive, they come forward with the test.

"They want to justify their paycheck at the end of the day. Obviously, the UFC hired a company. They're not doing it for free. They're in a situation where not that many people are trying to cheat, so now they're trying to make the test so extensive they can find the minutest molecules."

Mir (18-11) considers himself something of a victim to these circumstances.

The 37-year-old was flagged by USADA following a knockout loss to Mark Hunt in March. Mir later revealed he had tested positive for traces of Oral Turinabol, an anabolic steroid. He maintains he has no idea how the substance was present in his sample. He has suggested it might have been the result of tainted meat he consumed in Australia.

While USADA has not yet announced any reduction of Mir's sentence, the agency has done so in other cases. Middleweight Yoel Romero and lightweight Tim Means each received reduced sentences after proving their positive tests were the result of tainted legal supplements.

Mir also pointed to other instances where he believes it's clear USADA penalized a fighter who was not necessarily looking to cheat. Middleweight Lyoto Machida was pulled from a fight earlier this year after he admitted to taking a substance he said he was unaware was banned. Featherweight B.J. Penn was also pulled from a bout due to his use of an IV well before the fight.

"We're losing a lot of main event fighters to situations that are not actually cheating," Mir said. "I think you see that in a lot of movements. First, you see something that's not enough, and then sometimes the response is overboard. I think right now we're in the overboard status of drug testing policies."

Mir went on to say he never personally was bothered by any drug use in the sport.

"It wouldn't bother me at all, to be honest," said Mir, when asked about facing an opponent using a banned substance. "There's so much technique in fighting, the skill and timing. A guy doping up before a fight -- if anything, in my honest opinion, I would rather fight somebody who was using heavily because in my mind, I know they're not going to last very long."

When originally faced with a potential two-year suspension, Mir publicly asked the UFC to be released from his contract. According to the Las Vegas-based fighter, he has still not heard an official answer on that request. Mir said he does have interest in fighting again.