Brandao fined, suspended 9 months by NSAC
The Nevada State Athletic Commission also has acted, fining the fighter 30% of his purse ($10,800), suspending him for nine months, and requiring he pass three drug tests.
UFC featherweight Diego Brandao failed a pre-fight test administered by the US Anti-Doping Agency for the demon weed marijuana. The cut off used to be 50 ng/mL, but has been liberalized. However, Brandao tested above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL.?
USADA is the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy. USADA suspended Brandao for nine months. Fighters in the UFC are also subject to testing from State, Tribal, and Provincial government regulation.
Brandao’s suspension was in connection with his fight vs. Brian Ortega at UFC 195 on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thus the Nevada State Athletic Commission also has acted, fining the fighter 30% of his purse ($10,800), suspending him for nine months, and requiring he pass a drug test 30, 15 and 3 days prior to re-licensure.
The suspension will run concurrently with the USADA suspension, and begins on the date of the event, so the fighter can return on October 2, 2016. The USADA suspension had the possibility to reduce the nine months suspension to eight, by completing an anti-doping educational program.? There is no such option for the NSAC suspension.
According to Steven Marrocco for MMAjunkie, Brandao came close to being suspended for longer, when he didn’t show at the hearing, which he is require to do by statute. Brandao may have been unaware of the distinction between USADA and the NSAC.
NSAC commissioner Pat Lundvall commented that having the line of demarcation blurred does not feel good. NSAC Executive Director Bob Bennett recommended raising the suspension from the nine months recommended by the NSAC attorney to twelve months, for missing the hearing. However, NSAC Chairman Anthony Marnell recommended sticking to the commission’s previous decisions on first-time marijuana offenders to not get arbitrary and capricious with punishments.
Brandao has been released by the UFC for an unrelated issue – his arrest from brawling with employees at a strip club, and allegedly drawing a handgun.
