Ricardo Abreu Notified of Another Potential USADA Violation

Ricardo Abreu is serving a suspension for a failed drug test that may well get worse. USADA announced on Wednesday that Abreu, who received a two-year suspension in July for failing an out-of-competition drug test, has been notified of a new violation that stems from an out-of-competition sample that was taken on December 21st.

The July suspension was over a positive test for 19-norandrosterone (19-NA) and 19-noretiocholanolone, which are metabolites of banned anabolic steroids listed by WADA as “non-specified substances.” The current suspension is until July 1st, 2018.

The UFC’s full announcement is below:

The UFC organization was formally notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Ricardo Abreu of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection taken on December 21, 2016.

Abreu is currently serving a two-year suspension under the UFC Anti-Doping Program, after the anabolic steroid metabolites 19-norandrosterone (19-NA) and 19-noretiocholanolone were detected in a sample collected from Abreu on June 3, 2016. Under his current suspension, Abreu is not eligible to return to competition until July 1, 2018.

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.

Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information or UFC statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.