The UFC today announced details of its new out-of-competition drug-testing program, set to take effect July 1, that include a minimum of 2,750 overall drug tests per year and substantial punishments for doping violations.

As expected, the industry-leader has partnered with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which will oversee the program and conduct results management. MMAjunkie first reported the partnership earlier today.

UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky, a new hire, will oversee the drug-testing program as part of the UFC’s “Athlete Marketing and Development Program” and will work closely with the USADA.

“The UFC has taken a bold and courageous leap forward for the good of its athletes in developing a comprehensive and cutting-edge anti-doping policy expressly modeled on the key elements of the WADA Anti-Doping Program and by having it run by an independent and transparent national anti-doping organization,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a prepared statement. “USADA looks forward to supporting clean athletes in this sport, as in all sport, to achieve success on the playing field fairly and safely.”

Tygart spoke alongside UFC executives Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White, Lawrence Epstein and Novitzky, as well as USADA Board Chairman Edwin Moses, during today’s press conference at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.

Key to the program’s intent of deterring UFC fighters from using banned substances is a schedule of administrative punishments for drug offenses, which are separated by “specified substances” such as steroids, human growth-hormone, and blood dopers; and “non-specified substances” such as marijuana, cocaine and other drugs of abuse.

Punishments for specified substances include:

First offense: Two years with the possibility of two additional years for “aggravating circumstances,” which include previous drug failures, egregious intent, conspiracy with others, multiple substances, and other factors Second offense: double the sanction of first offense Third offense: double sanction of second offense

Punishments for non-specified substances include:

First offense: One year with the possibility of two additional years for “aggravating circumstances,” which include previous drug failures, egregious intent, conspiracy with others, multiple substances, and other factors Second offense: double the sanction of first offense Third offense: double sanction of second offense

Additionally, Tygart said the program will redefine the period used to define in-competition testing, expanding the window from within 12 hours of a competition to six hours before a fight’s weigh-in and up to six hours after a fight.

Also, a fighter found to have failed a drug test post-fight will be subject to disqualification, forfeiture of title and rankings, and purse fines. All fines collected will go toward funding of the anti-doping program and education efforts.

A whistleblower line will also be made available to fighters, Tygart said, which will encourage those with information on doping to come forward.

Tygart promised complete transparency from USADA in the results management of testing and said the agency has complete autonomy from the UFC in its administration of the program. Although the UFC is not technically a signatory of WADA, the program aims to mirror the anti-doping agency’s approach to deterrence and enforcement.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.