Cris Cyborg Flagged for UFC Anti-Doping Violation
Cris “Cyborg” Justino on Thursday found herself once again at the center of controversy, as she was flagged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for a potential UFC Anti-Doping Policy violation.
“The UFC organization was formally notified (on Thursday) that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Cristiane ‘Cyborg' Justino of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on December 5, 2016,” UFC officials said in a statement released to MMAWeekly.com.
“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.”
There had already been a firestorm surrounding Cyborg recently, as she was in conflict with UFC president Dana White over having turned down the opportunity to compete in the inaugural UFC women's featherweight championship.
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Cyborg admitted to turning down specific dates for the fight, but insisted that she would be ready to compete again by March. The UFC was unwilling to wait that long, and instead matched former bantamweight champion Holly Holm against Germaine de Randamie for the promotion's first women's featherweight title tilt.
With an anti-doping sanction now looming, it appears that it may be even longer before Cyborg might realize her longtime dream of fighting in the Octagon in her chosen weight class.
