UFC president Dana White doesn’t seem too worried about Cyborg’s positive drug test.
As if solely to close 2016 out with the highest drama possible, the UFC dropped the bombshell on Thursday that Cristiane Justino was notified of a potential USADA violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test administered on December 5.
The knockout monster’s team is claiming she wasn’t involved in any wrongdoing an the substance she popped for was medication prescribed by her doctor to help her recover from a tough weight cut, rather than a PED. Cyborg has a history with banned substances, with the sole No Contest on her record being a result of her testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol after knocking out Hiroko Yamanaka in her final Strikeforce bout.
Shortly after the news broke, UFC president Dana White gave his reaction to TMZ Sports.
“USADA handles it. We don’t. United States Anti-Doping Association (sic) will handle it. There’ll be some back and forth. We’ll see how this thing plays out. So, it’s kind of weird.”
White hinted that this drug test revelation could have something to do with Cyborg’s reluctance to accept a fight at 145 lbs, her preferred weight division and the one she was champion of under the Invicta banner. Former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie will be slugging it out for the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight strap on February 11 instead.
“First of all, I was offering these fights at 145 lbs. First fight she had eight weeks to get ready, second fight she had 11 weeks to get ready and the third fight she just turned down. I thought it was strange that she was turning down all these fights – not so strange now.”
“It’s funny how things work because I ended up making this Holly-Germaine fight at 145 which is perfect now.”
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