Last week, we reported that former Bellator MMA Featherweight and Bantamweight Champion Joe Warren had been suspended by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. He tested positive for marijuana metabolites the day of his fight against L.C. Davis, though he was at 53 nanograms per milliliter on a test with a 50 nanogram threshold. The World Anti-Doping Association and commissions that follow their rules, like Nevada, use a threshold of 150 nanograms per milliliter with the idea it only catches use the day of the fight, which is when it’s banned. Texas had used a 15 nanogram per milliliter threshold as recently as late 2013, when Jessica Eye tested positive.
MMAJunkie’s Stephen Marrocco has obtained additional information on Warren’s case. Warren has requested that the B-sample be tested, and the TDLR has filed a complaint against him. He could face either a year-long suspension or a year-long “probate suspension,” where he can still fight as long as he stays out of trouble, similar to what happened to Jessica Eye. Warren could also be fined up to $5,000. The former champion has a medical marijuana card in Colorado and had his Olympic career derailed by a past positive for the banned substance.
