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Flyweight Priscila Cachoeira was removed from UFC Sao Paulo after taking a banned diuretic.
Yet another Brazilian fighter has failed a USADA test.
On the heels of Melissa Gatto and John Allan Arte receiving bans, flyweight Priscila Cachoeira recently tested positive and was removed from her upcoming bout against Ariane Lipski, at UFC Sao Paulo. Per Ag Fight’s report, a forbidden blood pressure medicine was found in the fighter’s system, which ‘Pedrita’ admitted to taking, but with no bad intentions.
According to Cachoeira, she took Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, because she was suffering from high blood pressure and did not consider USADA when her mother, a nurse, administered it to Priscila.
“I was feeling sick, with high blood pressure and my mom gave me Hydrochlorothiazide, which is a diuretic,” Cachoeira said. “I was feeling really sick at the time and didn’t event think about USADA or anything, let alone my mom, who knows nothing about those things, she’s just a nurse. She saw her daughter sick and wanted to help by giving me medication, Two days later I was tested and result came in yesterday. I said ‘Mom, what was the medicine you gave me on that day?’ She said it was Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that is a forbidden substance.
“There were no bad intentions, it was just an accident, because I was feeling really sick,” she said. “It was bad luck that I was tested right after, God knows best, though, I believe the best is yet to come.”
It has not been reported yet if Priscila will be suspended by USADA and, if so, how long that will be. Pedrita has yet to win a fight in the Octagon, having been bested by Valentina Shevchenko, Molly McCann, and Luana Carolina.
Priscila’s opponent, Ariane Lipski, did not go too long without a replacement, though. Per MMA Fighting, the ‘Queen of Violence’ will now meet Veronica Macedo at UFC Sao Paulo, who comes off a submission win over Polyana Viana, back in August.
UFC Fight Night 164 is scheduled for November 16, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The card is expected to be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between contender Jan Blachowicz and former middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza.