(Say it ain’t so, Lyoto…)
The UFC’s recently-implemented, USADA-partnered drug-testing program has been quietly gaining steam at a predictable-but-still-scary rate since it was officially implemented last October, most recently catching Frank Mir in what may very well be a career-ending mistake earlier in the month and busting Viscardi Andrade just earlier in the week for a similar violation.
While the anti-doping agency’s settlement with Yoel Romero shows that the system is not exactly fool-proof yet, it’s still doing a respectable job of cleaning up the sport’s dirtiest fighters and hitting them where it hurts the most.
One of the last fighters that you would ever expect to be lumped into that category, however, is former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Over the course of his near-10 year career in the UFC, “The Dragon” has displayed nothing less than the epitome of class and professionalism both inside and outside of the octagon, serving as a true ambassador for a sport with only a handful of guys that you’d ever want to give such a title to. But just as Anderson Silva did before him, Machida once again reminded us that
Scheduled to rematch Dan Henderson in the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC on FOX 19 card — a card which has already taken its fair share of hits, for what it’s worth — Machida shocked the MMA world this afternoon by admitting that he had used a banned substance while being administered an out-of-competition drug test.
“The UFC organization was made aware today by U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, that Lyoto Machida declared the usage of a banned substance during an out-of-competition sample collection last week,” UFC official stated on Wednesday.
“Machida stated that he was unaware that the substance was prohibited both in and out of competition and, in accordance with the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, his disclosure of usage will be taken into consideration by USADA during any potential results management and adjudication process.”
And this right here is why my only heroes are ghosts, Nation. I guess we could give props to Machida for being up front with his banned substance use (though which one he used specifically has not been revealed yet) instead of belittling our intelligence by blaming his positive test on the sauna or the guy testing your samples, but at the same time, Machida is the one guy I would have believed was the victim of some crazy mix up. WHY YOU GOTTA BREAKA MY HEART, LYOTO?! WHYYYY!!!!
As a result of his admission, Machida’s scheduled bout with Henderson has been pulled from UFC on FOX 19, and Henderson is PISSED.
P.O.S. -No respect https://t.co/03O5oM7sM9
— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) April 13, 2016
The post And The Latest UFC Fighter to Be Busted for Banned Substances Is…Lyoto Machida?!! appeared first on Cagepotato.