After releasing a lengthy statement regarding his 18-month suspension for violating the USADA Anti-Doping Policy implemented by the UFC, former 205-pound champion Lyoto Machida spoke with Ariel Helwani about the matter during his appearance on Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” at MMAFighting.com.
“When the UFC brought USADA in, I thought it was to instruct and educate all the fighters,” Machida said on Monday. “But instead they came in to punish in a very unreasonable fashion.
Machida continued, expressing his disappointment in USADA for their decision to suspend him 18-months for a violating of the policy, which he claims was a result of an over-the-counter supplement he had taken.
“I want to say that I’m very disappointed in USADA,” said Machida. “I think it is all extremely unfair. I take the blame for taking 7-keto. It was banned substance, since I bought it over the counter at a supplement store, when it stated on its label 60 vegetarian capsules.
“For me, USADA didn’t give us proper instruction, and I think they failed in giving us an education about everything. So, they only sent me a proper list of banned supplements after they decided on my suspension, so they sent me maybe two-to-three days later, they sent me the list of the supplements so I could understand everything. But before it was where it was supposed to be, it didn’t happen.”
