UFC middleweight Ricardo Abreu, already serving a two-year suspension for an anti-doping violation, has been notified of a second potential UFC Anti-Doping Policy Violation.
Abreu is currently serving a two-year suspension for testing positive to the anabolic steroid metabolites 19-norandrosterone (19-NA) and 19-noretiocholanolone stemming from a June 3, 2016, sample collection. That suspension is not complete until July 1, 2018.
The new potential violation stems from a sample collected on Dec. 21, 2016, according to UFC officials. The nature of the violation was not identified. Though there are no details, it is possible that Abreu’s second violation is related to the first. Nandrolone, which is the steroid for which Abreu tested positive to its metabolites in his first violation case, can remain detectable for up to 11 to 12 months, according to Steroidal.com.
Abreu’s most recent bout was a split-decision loss to Jake Collier in June of 2015.
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UFC officials released the following statement addressing Abreu’s second potential anti-doping violation:
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.
