Gleison Tibau notified of in-competition testing failure, his second failed drug test

Gleison TIbau

UFC lightweight Gleison Tibau has been notified of a second potential Anti-Doping Violation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, this one stemming from an in-competition test at UFC Fight Night 77 in November.

Tibau (34-11 MMA, 17-9 UFC) was recently notified of a violation stemming from an out-of-competition test around the time of his UFC Fight Night 77 bout with Abel Trujillo (12-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC), which he won by first-round submission.

The 26-fight octagon veteran was provisionally suspended due to the potential failure and in a statement revealed he tested positive for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), but adamantly claimed innocence.

I’m not used to an easy life. Since I was a kid, I have fought for everything I’ve conquered, I have overcome adversities, and I’m really proud of who I am. I face this doping news as another stone that I have to take out of my way as a professional fighter and a correct citizen. As a responsible man that I am, I never believed I ingested something that could fantasize my performances. I make sure I have a healthy life outside the sport, and honest and clean inside the sport. I train hard, I do my best.

However, I can’t turn my back to a notification from USADA, an institution with credibility and a mission of stopping dirty game, doping. I will talk to my medical staff in the next days to find out where we made a mistake, and will do what we can in my trial. I fight professionally for 16 years, nine being inside the UFC, and was never in this situation. It tastes bad, like a loss inside the cage, but will be a big lesson, as experience to become more alert as an athlete of what can or can’t be done in the sport’s anti-doping policy.

I’m deeply sorry for what happened. I want to apologize to everyone involved, the UFC, American Top Team, my teammates and, of course, Abel Trujillo, who I fought on Nov. 7. I’m willing to give him a rematch, if he agrees. I’ve fought and defeated athletes that failed drug tests, like Polish athlete Piotr Hallman last September, and I know how bad it feels for the opponent.

I can’t forget to apologize to the fans, everyone that always supported me. I’m sure this time won’t be different, as I’m already getting messages and support through social media.

Fighting MMA is what I know to do, what I’ve chosen as a professional, my income. I take full responsibility for my actions, and I believe the justice will punish if needed, but also clear me if proven.

To the media, I thank the opportunity for giving me a voice in this complex moment that I’m living now, the toughest in my career. I trust in God so I can go back in action in my career in an honored way, like I always did.

Several weeks after news of the first violation, Tibau has been notified for a second failure from a sample “collected immediately after his bout” in Sao Paulo on Nov. 7. UFC officials today announced the violation (http://m.ufc.ca/news/UFC-Statement-on-Gleison-Tibau-122315), but did not reveal if it was EPO or other substances that appearance in Tibau’s test.

Tibau, long considered one of the UFC’s biggest fighters at lightweight with the build of a fighter arguably a weight class – or two – up from 155 pounds, got a submission win over Trujillo at UFC Fight Night 77. But the win was a controversial one.

The fight was declared over at the 1:45 mark of the first round as Tibau squeezed hard on his choke, though at the time referee Keith Peterson intervened, Trujillo was turning his body to escape and immediately protested the stoppage.

In the aftermath, Trujillo said he planned to appeal the loss (http://mmajunkie.com/2015/11/gleison-tibau-on-controversial-ufc-fight-night-77-stoppage-abel-trujillo-didnt-tap-out), and Tibau even said Trujillo definitely didn’t tap out to the choke.

Nevertheless, the fight went down as a Tibau win, which was his 17th UFC victory, giving him a tie for third all time with Michael Bisping. The result will likely be overturned if Tibau’s violation is confirmed.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 77, check out the UFC Events section of the site.