Tom Lawlor Flagged For Potential USADA Violation

Another UFC fighter has been flagged for a potential United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation, and this time it’s UFC light heavyweight veteran, Tom Lawlor.

Lawlor was flagged for an out-of-competition sample that was collected on October 10th, and has been provisionally suspended after the test’s results came back positive for a banned substance.

The UFC issued the following statement regarding the matter yesterday (Thursday November 3, 2016):

“The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Tom Lawlor of a potential Anti-Doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on October 10, 2016. USADA has provisionally suspended Lawlor based on the potential anti-doping violation,” UFC officials wrote in the statement.

“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.”

Lawlor last saw Octagon action when he took on Corey Anderson at UFC 196 in March, where he was defeated via unanimous decision after the three round contest. The 33-year-old UFC vet has been with the promotion since 2009, where he made his debut at UFC 100 with his guillotine submission win over C.B. Dollaway in the first round.

‘The Filthy Mauler’ made his 205-pound Octagon debut in July of 2015, where Lawlor defeated Gian Villante via first round knockout that earned him Performance of the Night honors.

As of this writing Lawlor has yet to comment on the situation. We’ll keep you updated as more becomes available.