UFC featherweight fighter Chad Mendes was recently suspended from the sport for two years by USADA after testing positive for a banned substance, and he’s now revealed exactly what he took.
“It was GHRP-6,” Mendes told KHTK Radio. “Before all this stuff came out I had no idea what that was. I don’t even know what that is and I started doing a bunch of research. This isn’t even a steroid, it’s a peptide. It’s basically an anti-aging type peptide.”
So why was Mendes taking an anti-aging peptide? The fighter claims that it had absolutely nothing to do with his fighting career.
Instead he says GHRP-6 happened to be in a cream he uses to treat Psoriasis, a skin condition he’s had since he was a young boy.
“I have suffered from plaque psoriasis my entire life. I’ve had that since I can even remember. I remember getting on the wrestling mat as a kid and people saying, ‘Ah you have a giant ringworm!’. It’s itchy all the damn time.”
Being banned for two years for that is a bitter pill to swallow, but Mendes is taking it on the chin and accepting his fate.
“I broke the rules. Did I use it? Of course. I didn’t go to USADA and make some BS story. The only other thing that I started using that was new was the lotion, and sure enough GHRP-6 was one of the damn ingredients. Whether it’s intentional or not, that’s breaking the rules. I basically said, “alright I broke the rules.’”
When asked why he didn’t come out and reveal what he’d taken earlier, Mendes says it was mainly down to his own personal embarassment regarding the whole situation.
“It’s embarrassing to be honest, this is another reason why I haven’t talked about it. For this to come out and to be labelled a ‘juice head.’ I don’t ever want to be labelled a guy that’s cheating and taking steroids. It really is embarrassing to me. I’ve been trying to avoid it but it’s something that needs to get out cause I owe it to my true fans and I just feel horrible for them.”
