Juancamilo Ronderos has received a sanction from UFC anti-doping partner U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after testing positive for cocaine.
USADA announced Thursday that Ronderos (4-1) was suspended for one month following a positive drug test for cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine stemming from an in-competition sample collected for his UFC debut on May 22 at UFC Vegas 27. Ronderos lost a flyweight bout to David Dvorak after stepping in on 24 hours’ notice for Raulian Paiva.
Cocaine is a non-specified stimulant on the USADA’s prohibited list and is classified as a substance of abuse. Ronderos did not declare his use of cocaine prior to the bout. However, according to the USADA, he received a reduction in his period of ineligibility due to the following:
…under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, athletes may receive a reduced sanction for Substances of Abuse if they can establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the violation did not enhance, and was not intended to enhance, the athlete’s performance in a Bout and they subsequently complete a drug rehabilitation program.
Ronderos’s suspension is retroactive to May 22, meaning he is already eligible to compete again.
He was scheduled to fight Zarrukh Adashev this Saturday at UFC Vegas 33, but was forced to withdraw from the bout and was replaced by Ryan Benoit. It’s unclear whether Ronderos’ removal from Saturday’s card was related to his USADA suspension.