Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced today that Khalil Rountree of Las Vegas, NV, has accepted a 2-month sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.
Rountree self-reported to UFC personnel the mistaken use of a dietary supplement that contained DHEA, a prohibited at all times anabolic steroid, as one of its several ingredients. Shortly after beginning use of the supplement, a biological sample was collected by Drug Free Sport International (DFSI) from Rountree on May 4th, 2024, and was shipped to and tested by the Sports Medicine Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Salt Lake City, Utah. SMRTL’s Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) testing reflected that the sample was consistent with the exogenous origin of 5a-androstanediol, 5b-androstanediol and androsterone, all metabolites of DHEA.
Rountree provided CSAD with shipping records, detailing that he received the supplement containing DHEA on May 2, 2024, just two days before he provided the May 4th sample. Rountree also provided documentation from the owner of the clinic that sent him the supplement, reflecting that the company’s Brand Marketing Director sent Rountree some of the company’s “therapeutic blends” supplements “without prior approval.” The owner described the mistake as “a massive oversight on our part.” The evidence reflects that as soon as Rountree realized the mistake, he immediately notified UFC personnel, who immediately passed the information along to CSAD.
CSAD consulted with SMRTL who informed that Rountree’s May 4th sample result was consistent with the above facts and that Rountree’s short-term use of DHEA in the doses present in the dietary supplement did not provide any significant performance benefits.
Under the UFC Anti-Doping Program, CSAD, in its sole discretion may suspend all or any part of ineligibility and other consequences imposed in an individual case in which it has results management authority where the athlete has provided full and complete cooperation, where the athlete did not intend to enhance their performance and has provided full, prompt and truthful responses and information. CSAD has determined that Rountree’s actions after he determined the error, and the evidence of this case, fit these criteria, and thus CSAD is reducing the sanction against Rountree to 2-months.
Rountree’s 2-month period of ineligibility began on May 4, 2024, the day he provided his biological sample to Drug Free Sport International.
Because Rountree’s scheduled fight on June 29, 2024, was publicly announced before his provision of the May 4th sample, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) is also retaining jurisdiction over this sample result. NAC will separately determine any sanctions against Rountree at an upcoming NAC meeting.
CSAD independently administers the year-round anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. All biological sample collections and shipping under the UFC ADP are conducted by DFSI, the global leader in the anti-doping industry with more than 5,000 collection personnel worldwide. All information concerning the UFC ADP, including all of its written policies and athlete test statistics can be located at ufcantidoping.com. These policies are available in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
CSAD also makes available a reporting mechanism for known and suspected abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in UFC at the email address tipline@csad.org.