Photo by Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Remember when Sean O’ Malley’s scheduled comeback fight against Jose Quinonez was inexplicably moved from UFC 247 on Feb. 7 to UFC 248 on March 8? Well, it appears we have an answer as to why.
According to a statement released by United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA), O’ Malley accepted a six-month suspension after testing positive for ostarin on two tests conducted on August 6 and August 12 of last year.
From the official statement:
“O’Malley, 25, tested positive for ostarine as the result of out-of-competition urine samples he provided on August 6, 2019 and August 12, 2019. His two positives, as well as additional positives collected after August 12, 2019, were treated as a single violation because the estimated concentration of ostarine in the urine samples was consistent with ingestion prior to August 29, 2019, the date O’Malley received notification of his second violation. In addition, the pattern of low urinary ostarine concentrations observed in multiple samples provided by O’Malley was consistent with exposure to ostarine as a contaminant. Ostarine is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List. After a thorough investigation into O’Malley’s positive tests, including extensive follow-up testing, his agreement to keep a food log, his increased level of care in selecting supplements, and finding no evidence of intentional use, USADA resolved O’Malley’s case with a six-month period of ineligibility. O’Malley’s period of ineligibility began on August 6, 2019, the date his positive sample was collected.”
If you recall, O’Malley was suspended for six months in late-2018 after originally testing positive for ostarine. He was then set to face Marlon Vera at UFC 239, but after lingering effects of the banned substance resurfaced, that fight was scratched as well despite the fact that USADA deemed that no intentional ingestion occurred.
That said, since UFC 248 takes place in March, one month after UFC 247, it lines up perfectly to when Sean’s suspension will be over since it is retroactive to August of last year.
It’s a similar case to this.
It’s been a long wait for Sean, who hasn’t competed since March of 2018 due to his ongoing struggles with USADA. “Suga” has compiled a perfect 10-0 record so far in mixed martial arts (MMA), including going 2-0 inside the Octagon.
UFC 248 currently features a women’s Strawweight title fight between division champion, Weili Zhang, defending her belt against former champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, as well as a Middleweight bout between Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier.