USADA suspends Abreu for four years, fighter retired

In July of 216 USADA announced that UFC middleweight Ricardo Abreu had been suspended for the full two years for failing an anti-doping test. On February 2, the fighter was notified of another potential USADA violation, stemming from a sample collection on Dec. 21.

The first suspension ended on July 1, 2018. The penalty for a second violation is double the first one, putting his return off to July 1, 2022. And as suspended fighters remain subject to anti-doping tests, there was the possibility of a third suspension, which would be double again.

In anticipation of the second suspension, Abreu retired. The fighter attributed the second failed test to treatment for depression.

I said I was sick, sent [the UFC] a letter saying I wasn’t fit to fight, and started the treatment. I got better right away. I was happier. I don’t regret doing it. … I was getting better from the depression, but my body still felt weird. My doctor asked me to do a blood work and check my levels, and my levels were all over the place, so he suggested doing a bioidentical hormone replacement.

Then USADA showed up for a random test.

Now USADA has announced the suspension, and as expected, it was for the full four years. However, suspended fighters have to stay in the testing pool, so the many years suspension is now open ended, and will not even start unless the fighter decides he wants to fight again.

The official news comes via USADA.org.

Abreu, 33, tested positive for 19-norandrosterone (19-NA), the main urinary metabolite of nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) and other 19-norsteroids, above the decision limit of 3.4 ng/mL following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on December 21, 2016. In accordance with standard practice, the exogenous, or non-natural, origin of the 19-NA was further confirmed by sophisticated carbon isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analysis, which can reveal the presence of synthetic anabolic agents. In this case, the GC/C/IRMS analysis result was consistent with the exogenous origin of 19-NA. Anabolic Agents, including 19-NA, are non-Specified Substances prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the WADA Prohibited List.

Following notice of his positive test on February 1, 2017, Abreu formally notified UFC and USADA of his retirement from competition. Due to his retirement, Abreu’s four-year period of ineligibility, which was imposed on May 4, 2017, has been tolled and will resume only if he officially notifies UFC and USADA of his return from retirement.

Pursuant to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, all UFC athletes serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping policy violation are required to remain in the USADA registered testing pool and make themselves available for testing in order to receive credit for time completed under his or her sanction. As such, Abreu’s retirement has resulted in the tolling of his sanction because he is not subject to no-advance-notice, out-of-competition testing under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy during his retirement.