Khalil Rountree Jr will only have to serve a two month suspension handed down by the UFC’s new drug testing agency CSAD after testing positive for the banned anabolic agent DHEA recently.
Rountree had previously spoken out to state that he’d inadvertently ingested the banned substance via a supplement he was taking, and that has led to him being able to reduce his sentence.
“Rountree provided CSAD with shipping records, detailing that he received the supplement containing DHEA on May 2, 2024, just two days before he provided the May 4th sample,” a UFC statement reads. “Rountree also provided documentation from the owner of the clinic that sent him the supplement, reflecting that the company’s Brand Marketing Director sent Rountree some of the company’s ‘therapeutic blends’ supplements ‘without prior approval.’ The owner described the mistake as ‘a massive oversight on our part.’ The evidence reflects that as soon as Rountree realized the mistake, he immediately notified UFC personnel, who immediately passed the information along to CSAD.
“CSAD consulted with SMRTL (Sports Medicine Research Testing Laboratory), who informed that Rountree’s May 4th sample result was consistent with the above facts and that Rountree’s short-term use of DHEA in the doses present in the dietary supplement did not provide any significant performance benefits.”
Though he only has a short suspension it does mean that Rountree will still be unable to fight Jamahal Hill at UFC 303 on June 29th as he’ll not be eligible to compete again until July 4th.
It should also be noted that due to that previously scheduled fight with Hill having been in Las Vegas it’s possible he could still receive a further punishment from the Nevada Athletic Commission at a later date.
