Former UFC champ Brock Lesnar gets 1-year suspension from USADA

Former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been given a one-year suspension for multiple drug failures in connection with his UFC 200 about against Mark Hunt.

The UFC’s anti-doping partner, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, announced the decision today on its official website. The suspension runs concurrently with a one-year term handed down this past month by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which oversaw the pay-per-view event this past July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Lesnar’s one-year term is retroactive to July 15, 2016, when USADA provisionally suspended him. The NSAC suspension, reached after a settlement agreement, is retroactive to July 9, or from the date of his fight.

Lesnar, 39, tested positive for the banned estrogen blocker clomiphene and its metabolite, 4-hydroxyclomiphene, in two separate tests – out-of-competition on June 28, 2016, and in-competition on fight-night. Because USADA did not receive the results of the first test prior to fight night, Lesnar (6-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was allowed to face Hunt (12-11-1 MMA, 7-5-1 UFC) and went on to win a unanimous decision in his first MMA bout in five years.

The UFC courted controversy upon re-signing Lesnar, a WWE contractee, by waiving a four-month testing window usually required of fighters returning from retirement. The promotion defended its decision by stating Lesnar was treated as a new athlete because he hadn’t fought since 2011, and his return at UFC 200 was only finalized one month prior to the event, thus making him unable to participate in the USADA program.

Upon failing his out-of-competition test, Lesnar promised to “get to the bottom of this,” providing copies of three tests that came up negative before the positive test. While awaiting a hearing with the NSAC, he had several supplements tested, including foot cream and eye medication, all of which failed to reveal the origin of the positive test. In his appeal to the commission, he “vehemently denied” knowingly using any banned substances.

Hunt, meanwhile, blasted the UFC for allowing Lesnar to fight and demanded to be paid half of the former wrestling champ’s purse. He later threatened a lawsuit and said he wouldn’t fight for the promotion until it took steps to prevent the situation in the future.

In addition to handing out a one-year suspension, the NSAC fined Lesnar $250,000, or 10 percent of his disclosed $2.5 million purse, and overturned his win to a no-contest. He did not appear before the commission and later returned to the wrestling ring.

The ex-champ did not accept the USADA sanction or elect to enter arbitration proceedings to potentially reduce his punishment.

USADA’s full statement reads:

“USADA announced today that UFC® athlete, Brock Lesnar, of the Brooklyn Park, M.N., received a one-year sanction, pursuant to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, after testing positive for a prohibited substance on two occasions.

“Lesnar, 39, tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, 4-hydroxyclomiphene, following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on June 28, 2016, and an in-competition urine test conducted on July 9, 2016, at UFC 200 in Las Vegas, Nev. Clomiphene is a prohibited substance in the category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the WADA Prohibited List.

“Lesnar’s one-year period of ineligibility began on July 15, 2016, the date on which he was provisionally suspended by USADA, and is identical in length to the sanction imposed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) on December 15, 2016. In addition, the NSAC overturned Lesnar’s victory at UFC 200 to a no-contest.

“Pursuant to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, all UFC athletes serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping policy violation are required to remain in the USADA registered testing pool and make themselves available for testing in order to receive credit for time served under his or her sanction. Furthermore, if an athlete retires during his or her period of ineligibility, the athlete’s sanction will be tolled until such time the athlete notifies USADA of his or her return from retirement and once again makes him or herself available for no-advance-notice, out-of-competition testing.

“USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (www.ufc.usada.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs. In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (www.ufc.globaldro.com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, and periodic athlete alerts.”

For more on UFC 200, check out the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.