USADA has caught yet another fighter in a potential violation for an out of competition drug test, with the UFC releasing a statement on welterweight Viscardi Andrade on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old Brazilian defeated Richard Walsh on March 20 in Brisbane, Australia, at UFC Fight Night 85, but a test sample given out of competition on March 7 has been flagged for a banned substance. The status of his win – the third in four UFC appearances – will be determined after full adjudication of the matter.
Here’s the UFC’s statement:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Viscardi Andrade of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on March 7, 2016. The sample was collected from Andrade in Brazil and analyzed at the WADA accredited laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, and recently reported to USADA as containing a prohibited substance.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Andrade. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed, including any ruling on Andrade’s victory over Richard Walsh in Brisbane, Australia on March 19, 2016.
Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
Penick’s Analysis: Like with all fighters preceding Andrade, he’s going to have an opportunity to have his B sample tested if he thinks there’s some contamination, or to give some explanation of why the banned substance in question would have been in his system. Of course, if he doesn’t have a viable case, and he simply got caught with something in his system, he’ll be facing a full two-year suspension, as well as that win over Walsh potentially being overturned.
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