USADA notifies Letourneau of potential violation, says Lombard out as UFC 193 corner

Valerie Letourneau

Valerie Letourneau will face UFC women’s strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 193 without one of her longtime cornermen.

Letourneau (8-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), 32, who co-headlines the Nov. 14 event at Ethiad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, told MMAjunkie in October that she would be cornered by UFC welterweight Hector Lombard (34-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), who currently is suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a positive steroid test.

But after being advised by the UFC’s anti-doping partner, USADA, of a potential violation of its “prohibited association” rule, Lombard will not do the job.

“We are aware of the relationship between Ms. Letourneau and Mr. Lombard, and we have been in contact with both of them to advise them of the rules in regards to prohibited association,” USADA Director of Communications Annie Skinner wrote to MMAjunkie in an email. “After being informed of the rules regarding prohibited association, Ms. Letourneau has since confirmed that Mr. Lombard will not be cornering for her or serving in any other prohibited capacity during his sanction.”

Skinner said USADA was in communication with the UFC fighters over “the last few weeks” on the issue. MMAjunkie was unable to reach Letourneau or Lombard for immediate comment.

Lombard was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in March when a post-fight drug test at UFC 182 revealed the presence of desoxymethyltestosterone, a designer steroid. He claimed the positive test was caused by a supplement given to him by a person in his “inner circle” and apologized to the UFC and commission.

In her October interview with MMAjunkie, Letourneau said she didn’t consider her relationship with Lombard improper and said she would continue to work with him.

“I’m going to work with who I want,” Letourneau said. “I can go for rounds with who I want.”

Meanwhile, the UFC’s chief anti-doping advocate said Lombard wasn’t under scrutiny.

“I think the spirit of the prohibited association is for somebody who is distributing or advising an athlete on how to use drugs, not an athlete who was using themselves and got caught,” UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky told MMAjunkie. “So I don’t think that would relate to him.”

But according to language contained in the UFC’s anti-doping program, which is overseen by USADA, Lombard’s role in Letourneau’s camp violates the prohibited association rule, which states that UFC athletes are prohibited from association with “athlete support personnel” who are serving a period of ineligibility for anti-doping offenses.

Athlete support personnel are defined as “any coach, trainer, corner man, second, manager, agent, official, medical or paramedical personnel, or any other person working with, treating or assisting an athlete participating in or preparing for a bout.”

“The rule is designed to ensure that athletes or other parties who have committed anti-doping rule violations do not try to gain a position of power in an athlete support role to influence or prey on clean athletes,” Skinner wrote in an email.

Skinner said USADA took its cue from WADA, which enacted a prohibited association rule in January. In an email interview with MMAjunkie, Ben Nichols, WADA’s senior manager of media relations and communications, said the rule was implemented to stop the spread of doping.

“WADA has increasingly been of the belief that athletes do not dope alone and that, often, there is a member of their entourage encouraging them to cheat,” Nichols wrote. “The prohibited association rule aims to send a clear message to athletes: Do not associate with individuals that have breached anti-doping rules as they could encourage you to cheat the system and to rob your fellow athletes of their right to clean sport.”

A violation of the UFC’s prohibited associated policy could carry a two-year suspension, although prior to disciplinary action, USADA is required to notify the UFC athlete of the issue and give them the opportunity to “terminate” their relationship with the prohibited party.

As for the fighter with “disqualifying status,” or suspended fighter, a violation would double their previous punishment. In the case of Lombard, who was given a one-year suspension on March 23, it would extend his term by one year, though again, USADA would also give him a chance to correct the issue before pursuing action.

It appears that, for now, the UFC fighters are in the clear.

“An athlete is not in violation unless they are notified of the prohibited association and then knowingly continue on with the professional sport relationship,” she wrote. “At this time, that is not the case for Ms. Letourneau or Mr. Lombard.”

Despite Lombard’s previous suspension, Letourneau vigorously defended the UFC welterweight as a teammate, coach and a friend.

“It’s not going to change anything in me or my performance, whatever somebody else is going to take,” she said. “I’m never going to change with whom I train because they get caught with something, and that doesn’t change them as a person, too.

“Hector is the one who helped me the most (in) two years at American Top Team. So I don’t care whatever he’s going to put into his body – and I know what happened to him.”

And for more on UFC 193, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.