'Cyborg' rep Ray Elbe claims flagged test due to prescription for 'post-fight therapy'

While UFC and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency officials have yet to reveal the substance or substances responsible for the flagging of Cristiane Justino’s recent out-of-competition sample, a rep for “Cyborg” insists the team is already working to clear the fighter’s name.

“Not for a steroid, and she has a prescription as part of the post fight therapy she’s been receiving due to the severe weight cut,” Justino rep Ray Elbe wrote on the popular MMA message board The Underground. “This has been known for a few days, and Cris’ doctor has been in direct contact with USADA turning over all the necessary patient files to document the reasons Cris needs the medication.”

Central to Justino’s argument, Elbe said, is the difficulty the Brazilian-born slugger found in a pair of 2016 weight cuts down to 140 pounds, which saw Justino pick up victories over Leslie Smith and Lina Lansberg.

“Cris had issues with her kidneys and blood pressure, and that’s part of a prescription she’s been seeking for therapy,” Elbe wrote. “Cris doctor works with several Olympic and UFC athletes who are also under USADA testing and this was part of the treatment given to her the Monday after the weigh-ins.

“Cris has not misused the prescription and has been assisting USADA with every request. I’m not a doctor, and so I don’t know the specifics of the prescription and the treatment purpose of each ingredient, but this treatment process is the reason Cris turned down a fight Feb. 11, as her doctor said the three cuts in eight months were damaging her body.

“I suspect her doctor (will) speak to the media about the specifics eventually.”

UFC and USADA officials weren’t immediately available for comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.

Of course, a doctor’s note won’t necessarily clear Justino of any wrongdoing, and first offenses of the UFC’s official anti-doping policy can carry up to a two-year suspension. However, recent rulings such as Jon Jones’ one-year order have shown USADA can be at least somewhat flexible in their rulings.

Still, Elbe said he expects Justino to face some consequences as a result of the flagged test.

“It’s really a shame,” Elbe wrote. “Cris will inevitably receive some penalty from this. She needed the medicine to recover from the weight cut. People slammed her for not fighting Feb. 11, but she was recovering from the extreme weight cut and was in treatment. Her doctor told her the three cuts in eight months were becoming dangerous.

“Cris ‘Cyborg’ already learned the risks of steroids in 2011 – 2016, Cris ‘Cyborg’ learned the risks of extreme weight cutting. She isn’t using a steroid, and her fans can be confident that her intent wasn’t PED but rather health related.”

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