Yoel Romero Sues Maker of Tainted Supplement For 2015 Suspension

Forbes reports that Yoel Romero filed a lawsuit last month against Goldstar Performance Products in New Jersey Superior Court for negligence. Romero tested positive in 2015 for the drug Ibutamoren, which was described by USADA as “a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.” Romero claims the company made a tainted supplement which resulted in the positive drug test.

He took the supplement Shred Rx for training after he “reaffirmed the product use with his colleagues, and read the label.” On December 16 of 2015, he gave an out-of-competition urine sample which was positive. At the time, he was the #2 contender in the middleweight division after beating Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza at UFC 194. Romero claims he gave USADA a pill from the bottle, which was found to contain Ibutamoren at “approximately 5 micrograms per capsule.” USADA purchased a sealed bottle of the supplement and found it contained “approximately 12 micrograms per capsule.” This led them to rule that Romero used a contaminated substance and only suspended him for six months.

Romero claims that Goldstar carelessly and negligently “failed to maintain the production facility” and “knew” the drug was in Shred Rx. He said this resulted in damage to his reputation and “the loss of the chance at a middleweight UFC title fight.” Romero will next fight Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 on February 10 for the interim middleweight title in Perth, Australia.