Brock Lesnar’s triumphant return to the Octagon at UFC 200 has been tarnished less than a week later as USADA has announced that he’s been flagged for an anti-doping violation.
According to USADA, Lesnar failed an out-of-competition test on June 28th, just 11 days before his uananimous decision victory against Mark Hunt in the co-main event of the blockbuster show in Las Vegas.
At this stage the banned substance that Lesnar tested positive for hasn’t been revealed.
It’s interesting to note that USADA actually tested the former UFC heavyweight champion no less than eight times in the space of a month prior to the event, and it’s been confirmed that Lesnar actually passed several tests in the days leading up to the one he failed.
“We will get to the bottom of this,” Lesnar told the Associated Press on Friday night.
Due to his hulking physique, there’s always been suspicions that Lesnar has used performance enhancing drugs, but the 39 year-old had laughed off talk about it in the build-up to his fight with Hunt, stating, “I’m a white boy and I’m jacked. Deal with it!”
Lesnar appears to have enjoyed his unexpected return to the UFC, claiming at the post-fight press conference that this was the most fun he’d had, “in a long time,” but he may now be regretting the decision as this failed test threatens to tarnish his legacy in the sport.
As well as this likely slamming the door shut on the likelihood of him fighting again in the future, It also leaves him in an awkward spot over at the WWE pro-wrestling organization where he remains under contract and is expected to compete in August.
In hindsight WWE owner Vinc Mcmahon may be regretting his surprising decision to give his biggest star the greenlight to compete at UFC 200.
Read the UFC’s full statement on Lesnar’s anti-doping violation below.
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Brock Lesnar of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 28, 2016. USADA received the testing results from the June 28, 2016 sample collection from the WADA-accredited UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory on the evening of July 14, 2016.
“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. The Nevada State Athletic Commission also retains jurisdiction over this matter as the sample collection was performed in close proximity to Lesnar’s bout at UFC 200 in Las Vegas.
“Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.”
