Ashlee Evans-Smith on NSAC agenda; UFC notifies camp of failed drug test

Ashlee Evans-Smith

Manager Mike McLeish first learned that his client, Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), had failed a drug test when a UFC executive called him.

He’s still waiting to hear from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which oversaw Evans-Smith’s fight against Raquel Pennington (5-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at this past month’s UFC 181.

“We have no idea what they’re talking about,” he told MMAjunkie.

McLeish said UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby called this past week to report the commission allegedly found a diuretic in Evans-Smith’s system following her fight, which ended in a first-round submission loss. (MMAjunkie could not reach Shelby for comment, as UFC executives are typically not authorized to give public statements to the media.)

McLeish was told Evans-Smith faced a six-month suspension and needed to assemble a list of supplements to present to the commission, which would be calling him shortly.

That call never came, he said Tuesday night. He said neither he or Evans-Smith have received any written notice of a rule violation. Yet Evans-Smith showed up on an agenda for an NSAC meeting scheduled next week in Las Vegas.

The commission is requesting Evans-Smith be temporarily suspended.

The NSAC’s rules state that if a complaint is filed by the executive director against a licensee, the commission will serve a copy of the complaint via certified mail. The licensee then has 20 days to respond to the complaint, admitting or denying the alleged rule violation. The licensee is required to attend a hearing on the merits of the complaint.

NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett and chairman Francisco Aguilar did not immediately respond to an email requesting a response to McLeish’s statement that the Evans-Smith camp never received word of a violation and potential suspension.

McLeish believed the positive test may have arose from supplements Evans-Smith took in advance of her fight, which he said are plant-based.

“She takes flowers, weird sh-t,” he said. “It could possibly be that.”

He said Evans-Smith denied taking any banned diuretic.

The UFC 181 fight served as Evans-Smith’s debut. The booking came on short notice when Pennington’s original opponent, Holly Holm, withdrew due to injury. Evans-Smith previously has fought as a featherweight, winning a regional title this past October. The loss to Pennington was her first as a professional.

Despite a rapid drop in weight, McLeish said his client’s weight cut wasn’t extraordinarily difficult.

Evans-Smith is currently in New York City, where she is conducting a seminar with recently crowned UFC women’s strawweight champ Carla Esparza.

For complete coverage of UFC 181, check out the UFC Events section of the site.