Before it has even had its first official fight, the UFC women’s featherweight division has suffered a heavy blow. The UFC confirmed in a statement today that it has been notified by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation by women’s MMA star Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.
Justino, who is also the current Invicta FC featherweight champion, has been under contract with the UFC for some time, and began fighting for the promotion earlier this year, appearing in a pair of 140lb catchweight bouts. She most recently fought at UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg in September, scoring a TKO win over the unheralded Lina Lansberg in the second round. The UFC raised eyebrows when it announced earlier this month that the inauguaral UFC women’s featherweight title would be awarded to the winner of Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamine at UFC 208. Many had tapped Cyborg as a shoe-in to be part of the first UFC women’s 145lb fight. Justino, however, claimed she was unable to make weight in time.
This is not the first brush with doping violations for Justino. In 2011, she tested positive for stanozolol metabolites and was stripped of her Strikeforce title. That led to a beavy of criticism over the years from fellow fighters, most notably Ronda Rousey.
It’s important to note that USADA and the UFC do not release details publicly on the nature of the substance a fighter failed for when notifying of a potential violation of the Anti-Doping Policy. According to USADA’s fighter database, Justino has been tested 14 times thus far since their UFC Anti-Doping program took effect.
The UFC statement reads in full:
The UFC organization was formally notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on December 5, 2016.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case. It is important to note that, under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full fair legal review process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed.
Consistent with all previous potential anti-doping violations, additional information or UFC statements will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
