Chad Mendes has been on the sidelines but now his sights set on his return to the Octagon under the UFC banner.
Mendes is slated to return to action when he faces Myles Jury in a featherweight showdown at the upcoming UFC Boise event.
The reason for Mendes’ inactivity is due to a failed drug test. Back in July of 2016, USADA announced that Mendes had received a two-year sanction for an anti-doping policy violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
He tested positive for GHRP-6 (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hexapeptide) following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on May 17, 2016. Mendes (17-4) is currently on a two-fight losing streak and is 3-3 in his last six bouts. He last competed against Frankie Edgar at the TUF 22 Finale.
The featherweight contender made it known in a recent interview that he plans to make the most out of his return.
“I’m feeling great, and I’m feeling excited,” Mendes told MMAjunkie. “I’ve got that hunger back. I feel almost rejuvenated. My body feels good – the bumps and bruises.
“Probably about the past four years, getting up in the morning, my feet were just so bruised and beat up from kicking and getting stepped on and stubbing your toes during practice. It’s just nice. Everything feels back to normal, I’m ready to go.”
“It was my own damn fault,” Mendes said. “I should have paid attention. I did the time. I’m not going to sit there and make up a bunch of excuses and try to get out of it. When they told me two years, at that time, honestly I was frustrated. I was embarrassed. I was just like, ‘Screw it. I’ll do my time. I just want to step away from all this.’ About halfway through it, I was like, ‘I wish I would have tried to fight it a little bit.’”
UFC Boise (UFC Fight Night 133) is set to take place on Saturday, July 14, 2018 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho.
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