Cung Le is back in the UFC after UFC officials rescinded the middleweight’s suspension, which they originally handed down when Le supposedly failed an August drug test the UFC itself administered.
The UFC announced the decision Tuesday in a statement, which was initially reported by Damon Martin of Fox Sports. Le had failed the screening, UFC officials originally reported, for excess levels of human growth hormone.
In part, the UFC statement read:
Following the announcement of Le’s suspension, UFC officials have been provided with medical advice regarding the elevated total HGH present in Le’s system. In accordance with such medical advice, UFC has determined that Le’s elevated total HGH by itself does not prove that he took performance-enhancing drugs before the August 23rd bout. As a result, UFC has informed Le that his suspension is rescinded.
The test came after Le, 42, took a bloody fourth-round TKO loss to Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 48 in Hong Kong.
Soon after receiving word of the suspension, Le and his management team announced Le would appeal the decision. Le would have been the first fighter to appeal a drug test failure found by the UFC. Tuesday’s statement from the UFC was handed down before that process could play out.
Inside North America, an athletic commission typically oversees the drug testing process. However, in the case of the Fight Night 48 card in Hong Kong and other international cards, the UFC oversees the testing process.
At first, the suspension was for nine months. But shortly after, the UFC extended the suspension to 12 months after it decided Le’s behavior had violated the promotion’s Code of Conduct.
Both Le and, to a lesser extent, the UFC have been subject to heavy criticism throughout the process. For the moment, it appears that Le, and not the UFC, will be the one with cause to celebrate.
Today @UFC rescinded @CungLe185‘s suspension. Way better path for UFC than arbitration. Really this is about how UFC interprets PED results.
— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) October 21, 2014
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