Lyoto Machida Blasts 18-Month USADA Suspension: It’s Extremely Unfair

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida is not happy, and he has a good reason to be. USADA announced last week that Machida has been suspended for 18 months due to an anti-doping violation. Machida did declare his usage of a product containing the banned substance 7-keto-dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is a steroid, during that sample collection back in April. Machida also confirmed the use of the product and said he did not know it contained a prohibited drug. Once his sample was tested, it came back with an elevated 7β-hydroxy-DHEA to DHEA ratio. USADA said in a statement that Machida’s admission of the substance and his cooperation in the investigation allowed for the reduction of a two-year suspension to 18 months.

Machida recently spoke with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour about his suspension.

“First of all, I want to say that I am very disappointed in USADA. I think this is all extremely unfair. I take the blame for 7-Keto. It wasn’t a banned substance since I bought it over the counter in a supplement store when it stated on it’s label 60 vegetarian capsules. For me, USADA didn’t give us proper instructions and I think they failed in educating us about everything. To be honest, they only sent me a list of banned supplements after my suspension, two days later. But before, when it was supposed to be, it didn’t happen. When UFC brought USADA in, I thought it was to instruct and educate all the fighters. Instead they came in to punish in an unreasonable fashion. So they came to the academy and I explained everything and disclosed everything during the test. I didn’t know it was banned substance. Unfortunately, they didn’t see my honesty.”

Machida explained why he was actually taking the substance – for stress relief after going on a two fight losing streak (Luke Rockhold at UFC on FOX 15 and Yoel Romero at UFC Fight Night 70).

“I came from two losses in a row. It was very hard training at that moment and (I was) so stressed. I used that for stress relief. I didn’t know that. My intention was in a good way. How could I take this supplement to the fight if I know it was banned? How? Somebody on a good conscience didn’t do that at all. I took the supplement. I have two witness when I took it in my room and I knew that I would get blood tested anytime. I took them because I didn’t know. So, I take the blame, made mistake. Okay, I get it. But I think it was extremely unfair to punish me like that.”