California Commission Overturns Miura vs. DeJesus, Ruled ‘No Decision’

Russ Miura

Following an appeal filed to the California State Athletic Commission, the Tachi Palace Fights bout between Russ Miura and Isaac DeJesus has been ruled a “no decision.”

The commission made the ruling at a hearing held on Monday.

Miura’s management team at Iridium Sports Agency appeared before the commission for Monday’s meeting, after filing a written appeal on behalf of their fighter due to DeJesus testing positive for marijuana following their fight on May 6.

While commissioners squabbled briefly when discussing the performance enhancing effects of marijuana, they eventually determined that because it is an illegal substance and treated as such in testing, the ruling should follow.

Under Section 368 of the California Code of Regulations, the commission can choose to overturn the decision in a fight, and that was the argument held on Monday.

The rule had just recently been amended to allow a bout to be overturned due to a participant testing positive for a banned substance, as in the case with Miura vs. DeJesus.

The commission also cited representatives from Iridium referencing the ruling in the 2007 fight between Nick Diaz and Takanori Gomi, in which Diaz tested positive for marijuana and the Nevada State Athletic Commission later ruled that fight a no contest.

California State Athletic Commission executive director George Dodd motioned that because a fight had taken place they could not rule the bout a no contest, and instead opted to call the bout a “no decision.”

The motion was seconded and carried.

The precedent is also important because this is the first ruling the commission has made in a case such as this since the change was made to Section 368. It could lead to similar rulings in future cases if an athlete tests positive for a banned substance after a fight.

Damon Martin is the lead staff writer and radio host for MMAWeekly.com.
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