Diego Sanchez Accepts Three-Month Suspension For USADA Violation

Diego Sanchez has received a three-month suspension for a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation, the agency announced today (Fri. January 31, 2020).

The violation came from an out-of-competition urine sample, in which Sanchez tested positive for the banned substances ostarine and S-23. The sample was collected on December 12, 2019. Both ostarine and S-23 are non-Specified Substances in the class of Anabolic Agents under USADA rule, and athletes are prohibited at all times, both in and out-of-competition, from ingesting them.

During the investigation of Sanchez’s violation, the 38-year-old provided containers of supplements that he was using at the time, for analysis at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah. There, it was determined that, although no prohibited substances were named on the supplement labels, testing revealed that they did contain the selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) for which Sanchez tested positive.

Due to the revisions made to USADA’s policy, the agency determined that Sanchez’s case was not intentional, and actually began on October 26, which was when he first became exposed to these substances. Because of this, Sanchez’s three months of ineligibility began on October 26, 2019, meaning his suspension was lifted after January 16, 2020. He is still eligible to fight Michel Pereira at UFC Rio Rancho on February 15, as scheduled.

What do you think about Sanchez accepting a three-month USADA ban?