Frank Mir responds to suspension: ‘USADA now has two versions of their narrative’

UFC heavyweight Frank Mir isn’t happy with how the USADA handled his case, which led to a two-year suspension.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir is quite unhappy with the US Anti-Doping Agency about his drug suspension. Mir was handed a two-year ban by USADA after a long investigation into two out-of-competition tests ahead of a UFC Fight Night bout in Australia last year, but believes that USADA is being inconsistent with their narratives surrounding his case.

Mir was provisionally suspended following a positive test for anabolic agent DHMCT last April, but his previous test was negative in February 2016 for it. Apparently USADA has found new methods to test for it now though, and his previous sample was re-tested and came up positive. Hence the two years.

Mir issued a long statement on Instagram in response to the suspension being announced:

I have consistently denied knowingly taking anything that would violate USADA’s guidelines. I was originally told that my post fight sample from March 20, 2016, had been flagged for a trace metabolite, following my clean test the previous month on February 5. For this past year, I have been focused on analyzing anything I could within that six week window that could’ve possibly been the cause…testing supplements and reviewing dietary habits. It is frustrating to now be told that USADA has changed their mind about the February 5 test, claiming that the sample they once cleared is now clouded with the same trace metabolite. Even more frustrating is that I’ve been told that the long term metabolite could date back two years, prior to the implementation of USADA standards and possibly to a time when I had a legal exemption for testosterone replacement therapy. As hard as it was to try to retrospectively analyze everything I had consumed within a fairly recent six week period of my life, I would have no idea where to start going back years into my past. What I can do is reiterate my denial and ask you to note that my position on this issue has remained consistent. By contrast, USADA now has two versions of their narrative concerning me. I will discuss this latest development at length on Monday’s edition of my @phoneboothfighting podcast. I invite you to listen as I will have much more to say on this issue. The outpouring of support that I continue to receive from my fans has been overwhelming, and I am eternally grateful to each of you for that. -Frank Mir

A post shared by Frank Mir (@thefrankmir) on Apr 21, 2017 at 11:49pm PDT

Here’s the full statement:

“I have consistently denied knowingly taking anything that would violate USADA’s guidelines. I was originally told that my post fight sample from March 20, 2016, had been flagged for a trace metabolite, following my clean test the previous month on February 5. For this past year, I have been focused on analyzing anything I could within that six week window that could’ve possibly been the cause…testing supplements and reviewing dietary habits. It is frustrating to now be told that USADA has changed their mind about the February 5 test, claiming that the sample they once cleared is now clouded with the same trace metabolite. Even more frustrating is that I’ve been told that the long term metabolite could date back two years, prior to the implementation of USADA standards and possibly to a time when I had a legal exemption for testosterone replacement therapy. As hard as it was to try to retrospectively analyze everything I had consumed within a fairly recent six week period of my life, I would have no idea where to start going back years into my past. What I can do is reiterate my denial and ask you to note that my position on this issue has remained consistent. By contrast, USADA now has two versions of their narrative concerning me. I will discuss this latest development at length on Monday’s edition of my @phoneboothfighting podcast. I invite you to listen as I will have much more to say on this issue. The outpouring of support that I continue to receive from my fans has been overwhelming, and I am eternally grateful to each of you for that. – Frank Mir”

Mir (18-11, 16-11 UFC) has been with the UFC since 2001, claiming a heavyweight championship and an interim heavyweight championship along the way. The 37-year-old is just 2-6 in his last eight bouts overall.

UFC heavyweight Frank Mir isn’t happy with how the USADA handled his case, which led to a two-year suspension.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir is quite unhappy with the US Anti-Doping Agency about his drug suspension. Mir was handed a two-year ban by USADA after a long investigation into two out-of-competition tests ahead of a UFC Fight Night bout in Australia last year, but believes that USADA is being inconsistent with their narratives surrounding his case.

Mir was provisionally suspended following a positive test for anabolic agent DHMCT last April, but his previous test was negative in February 2016 for it. Apparently USADA has found new methods to test for it now though, and his previous sample was re-tested and came up positive. Hence the two years.

Mir issued a long statement on Instagram in response to the suspension being announced:

I have consistently denied knowingly taking anything that would violate USADA’s guidelines. I was originally told that my post fight sample from March 20, 2016, had been flagged for a trace metabolite, following my clean test the previous month on February 5. For this past year, I have been focused on analyzing anything I could within that six week window that could’ve possibly been the cause…testing supplements and reviewing dietary habits. It is frustrating to now be told that USADA has changed their mind about the February 5 test, claiming that the sample they once cleared is now clouded with the same trace metabolite. Even more frustrating is that I’ve been told that the long term metabolite could date back two years, prior to the implementation of USADA standards and possibly to a time when I had a legal exemption for testosterone replacement therapy. As hard as it was to try to retrospectively analyze everything I had consumed within a fairly recent six week period of my life, I would have no idea where to start going back years into my past. What I can do is reiterate my denial and ask you to note that my position on this issue has remained consistent. By contrast, USADA now has two versions of their narrative concerning me. I will discuss this latest development at length on Monday’s edition of my @phoneboothfighting podcast. I invite you to listen as I will have much more to say on this issue. The outpouring of support that I continue to receive from my fans has been overwhelming, and I am eternally grateful to each of you for that. -Frank Mir

A post shared by Frank Mir (@thefrankmir) on

Here’s the full statement:

“I have consistently denied knowingly taking anything that would violate USADA’s guidelines. I was originally told that my post fight sample from March 20, 2016, had been flagged for a trace metabolite, following my clean test the previous month on February 5. For this past year, I have been focused on analyzing anything I could within that six week window that could’ve possibly been the cause…testing supplements and reviewing dietary habits. It is frustrating to now be told that USADA has changed their mind about the February 5 test, claiming that the sample they once cleared is now clouded with the same trace metabolite. Even more frustrating is that I’ve been told that the long term metabolite could date back two years, prior to the implementation of USADA standards and possibly to a time when I had a legal exemption for testosterone replacement therapy. As hard as it was to try to retrospectively analyze everything I had consumed within a fairly recent six week period of my life, I would have no idea where to start going back years into my past. What I can do is reiterate my denial and ask you to note that my position on this issue has remained consistent. By contrast, USADA now has two versions of their narrative concerning me. I will discuss this latest development at length on Monday’s edition of my @phoneboothfighting podcast. I invite you to listen as I will have much more to say on this issue. The outpouring of support that I continue to receive from my fans has been overwhelming, and I am eternally grateful to each of you for that. – Frank Mir”

Mir (18-11, 16-11 UFC) has been with the UFC since 2001, claiming a heavyweight championship and an interim heavyweight championship along the way. The 37-year-old is just 2-6 in his last eight bouts overall.