UFC rep: Despite testosterone issue, Robert Drysdale will still fight in octagon

Robert Drysdale remains under contract with the UFC and will not face any disciplinary action from the promotion despite a recent drug-testing snag.

A UFC representative today told MMAjunkie.com that the decorated jiu-jitsu player will one day compete inside the octagon.

“Obviously, Robert needs to establish that he is medically fit to participate and apply for the appropriate licensure,” the rep wrote in a prepared statement. “Assuming he is able to do this, he will fight for the organization at some point in the future.”

This past week, Drysdale (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), was not medically cleared for his octagon debut at this month’s UFC 167 event when a pre-fight drug test revealed a highly inflated testosterone-to-epitestosterone (T/E) ratio of 19.4-to-1. The Nevada State Athletic Commission, which regulates the Nov. 16 pay-per-view card, ordered the test and informed the UFC of the result, which prompted the promotion to replace Drysdale with Gian Villante (10-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in a bout opposite Cody Donovan (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC). The new fight kicks off the card at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand and streams live on MMAjunkie.com.

In July Drysdale submitted paperwork to the NSAC for permission to undergo testosterone-replacement therapy. His application included a letter from a doctor who stated the grappler turned fighter was receiving weekly injections of testosterone.

Despite his application, which was submitted less than a month prior to his first scheduled debut at UFC 163, Drysdale was not approved for an exemption, according to the commission. A reported staph infection prompted the UFC to pull him from a bout opposite Ednaldo Oliveira at the Aug. 3 event.

Since news of his abnormal drug test result, which did not reveal the presence of illegal steroids, Drysdale has yet to comment on the situation. A request for comment today went unanswered.

NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer said commissioners for the regulatory body will decide whether to place Drysdale on a future agenda to address the failed test. As of today, the commission also hasn’t levied any disciplinary action.

For the latest on UFC 167, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.