Welterweight Elizeu Zaleski claims to be innocent after failing a USADA test in March 2022.
Welterweight striker Elizeu Zaleski is facing a one-year suspension for a positive USADA drug test. Per MMA Fighting’s report, weeks before his bout against Mounir Lazzez, which was scheduled for April 2022, ‘Capoeira’ tested positive for banned substance Ostarine, used for treating muscle wasting and osteoporosis.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Zaleski admits the substance was in his system, but claims he did not take it on purpose. According to the Brazilian, the laboratory that handled his supplements is to blame for the contamination.
“We were preparing to fight in April. This has been going on since then. I was using some custom-made supplements made in a compound pharmacy. I had been tested 20 days before that. The week before my trip (for the fight), I got the news that I was being suspended, that there was a contamination in this substance called Ostarine in my system. We did another test on Monday and it really was there. After that we did some more and nothing showed. It was proven that there was a tainted supplement. USADA is very strict, though. So I ended up getting a one-year suspension.”
“I was harmed by other people. You trust a lab and end up being harmed. We understand the risk of working with such pharmacies, but I’ve always done this and never had any problems before. Since my Jungle Fight days, We do this because the pharmacy assures you you won’t have any problems. That was the situation, it was very frustrating. I haven’t been able to process this yet ever since. I’ve always done everything by the book, never got any warnings from USADA. It’s sad, unfortunately.”
In his last outing, Zaleski (23-7) defeated Benoit Saint-Denis via unanimous decision, back in October 2021. Before that, the 35-year-old dropped a split decision to Muslim Salikhov, in June 2020.