Cris Cyborg flagged for potential doping violation
Cris "Cyborg" Justino has been notified of a potential doping violation from USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency).
According to a statement from the UFC, Cyborg was flagged for a potential violation of the anti-doping policy stemming from an out of competition test taken on Dec. 5.
"The UFC organization was formally notified today 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 wrote in a statement.
"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."
Due to the anti-doping policy in place, USADA is not allowed to reveal the substance that caused Cyborg to be flagged for the potential violation unless she makes that information public first.
All fighters flagged for a potential violation of the UFC's anti-doping policy are afforded an adjudication process before any possible punishment is handed down from USADA.
This potential doping violation could be devastating to Cyborg's career after she finally made her UFC debut in 2016 with two fights and two knockout victories over Leslie Smith and Lina Lansberg.
Most recently, Cyborg was offered a title fight against Holly Holm to introduce the first ever UFC women's featherweight championship, but ultimately she was forced to turn down the offer to allow her body to recover after a brutal weight cut to get down to 140 pounds for her last fight in the Octagon.
If Cyborg's test results are confirmed, this would be the second time she's been flagged for the use of banned substances after she tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, that landed her a one-year suspension from the California State Athletic Commission in 2011
At this time there's no telling what substance or circumstances caused Cyborg's test results to be flagged or any potential punishment that could be handed out as a result.
