Kelvin Gastelum is out of his UFC 212 fight against former Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Gastlelum tested positive for marijuana during an in-competition drug test.
Here is the UFC’s official statement:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Kelvin Gastelum of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation involving Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (“Carboxy-THC”) which is a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish, above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL, stemming from an in-competition sample collected in conjunction with his recent bout in Fortaleza, Brazil on March 11, 2017.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Gastelum, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Because the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) was the regulatory body overseeing the fight in Fortaleza and has licensing jurisdiction over Gastelum, USADA will work to ensure that the Commission has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Gastelum’s potential anti-doping violation. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
As a result of the potential anti-doping violation against Gastelum, USADA has placed him under a provisional suspension. While the UFC Anti-Doping Policy affords Gastelum full and fair due process rights before any possible adjudication of his case, because of the proximity to Gastelum’s scheduled June 3rd bout against Anderson Silva, Gastelum is being removed from the card and a replacement is currently being sought.
Anderson Silva, however, is still on the card. His team told veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani that he is looking for a new opponent.
Being that UFC 212 is still close to two months away, it should not be too hard for Silva to find someone to replace Kelvin Gastelum.
The post Kelvin Gastelum Flagged For Marijuana, Out Of UFC 212, Silva Looking For New Opponent appeared first on Jiu-Jitsu Times.