The UFC has removed Kelvin Gastelum from his fight against Anderson Silva, on June 3 after USADA notified the promotion of a potential anti-doping violation.
Gastelum was set to feature in the co-main event of the UFC 212 PPV in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC are now seeking a new opponent for “The Spider.” The event will be headlined by Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway in a featherweight title unification fight.
USADA notified the UFC that the Mexican-American tested positive for marijuana metabolite “Carboxy-THC,” taken from a recent in-competition sample from his bout in Fortaleza, Brazil on March 11, 2017.
This is the first anti-doping violation of Gastelum’s UFC career, having been with the promotion since August 2013, when he won The Ultimate Fighter reality series.
With a three-fight win streak, which included victories over Johny Hendricks, Tim Kennedy and Vitor Belfort, a win in Brazil would surely have earned the BJJ purple belt acclaim for a potential middleweight title shot.
In light of his violation, formerly ranked No.8, Gastelum has been removed from the UFC rankings.
The UFC released a statement on their website, detailing his provisional suspension:
“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Kelvin Gastelum of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation involving Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (“Carboxy-THC”) which is a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish, above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL, stemming from an in-competition sample collected in conjunction with his recent bout in Fortaleza, Brazil on March 11, 2017.
“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Gastelum, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation. Because the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) was the regulatory body overseeing the fight in Fortaleza and has licensing jurisdiction over Gastelum, USADA will work to ensure that the Commission has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Gastelum’s potential anti-doping violation. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
“As a result of the potential anti-doping violation against Gastelum, USADA has placed him under a provisional suspension. While the UFC Anti-Doping Policy affords Gastelum full and fair due process rights before any possible adjudication of his case, because of the proximity to Gastelum’s scheduled June 3rd bout against Anderson Silva, Gastelum is being removed from the card and a replacement is currently being sought.”
