Kelvin Gastelum informed of potential positive marijuana test; UFC 212 bout vs. Anderson Silva off

UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum was informed today by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of a potential anti-doping violation stemming from carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as “THC,” a metabolite found in marijuana.

As a result, Gastelum (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been placed under provisional suspension, and he has been pulled from his scheduled UFC 212 fight against Anderson Silva (34-8 MMA, 17-4 UFC).

UFC 212, which is headlined by a featherweight unification title fight between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway, takes place June 3 in Rio de Janeiro. The card will air on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Gastelum has won three straight fights and four of his past five. After experiencing continued weight-cutting issues as a welterweight, the “TUF 17” middleweight winner now appears to be at 185 pounds permanently.

At UFC 200 this past July, he made weight for a 170-pound matchup with former champ Johny Hendricks – who ironically missed the mark – and won a unanimous decision. But for a fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 205, he came in so far above weight that he didn’t even show up to the weigh-ins, prompting UFC President Dana White to say he was going to middleweight for good. Gastelum fought Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 in December and won with a third-round TKO, then took out Vitor Belfort in UFC Fight Night 106’s main event in March.

Below is the full statement on Gastelum’s violation from USADA:

“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Kelvin Gastelum of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation involving Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (“Carboxy-THC”) which is a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish, above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL, stemming from an in-competition sample collected in conjunction with his recent bout in Fortaleza, Brazil on March 11, 2017.

“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Gastelum, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Because the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) was the regulatory body overseeing the fight in Fortaleza and has licensing jurisdiction over Gastelum, USADA will work to ensure that the Commission has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Gastelum’s potential anti-doping violation. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.

“As a result of the potential anti-doping violation against Gastelum, USADA has placed him under a provisional suspension. While the UFC Anti-Doping Policy affords Gastelum full and fair due process rights before any possible adjudication of his case, because of the proximity to Gastelum’s scheduled June 3rd bout against Anderson Silva, Gastelum is being removed from the card and a replacement is currently being sought.”

For more on UFC 212, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.