Within hours of the news that Andrea “KGB” Lee was added to the UFC 216 card next month, it appears the flyweight star is off the card. Though the fighter confirmed via her official Twitter that a bout with Kalindra Faria had been booked, it appears USADA regulations will keep her out of the fight. Under the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s policy as it pertains to the UFC, fighters must be in the USADA testing pool for six months prior to setting foot in the octagon. MMA Fighting reported news of KGB Lee being off the card Thursday.
Though exceptions can be made (the window, then four months, was waved for Brock Lesnar prior to UFC 200), that won’t be the case here. Lee (8-2), who just defended her LFA flyweight title last Friday at LFA 23, has been fighting in both Legacy Fighting Alliance and Invicta FC. Neither works with USADA, however, and further, a 2016 suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, despite already having been served, comes into play. Under USADA, an athlete with a history of using a prohibited substance must be in the testing pool for six months, and may be required to provide “a minimum of two negative Samples during the minimum six-month notice period before being cleared for competition.”
That means UFC 216 is not an option for KGB Lee. She is still signed with the UFC, however, and will likely make her debut shortly after the six month window is up. In the meantime, given the promotion’s close ties with Invicta FC, a bout in that organization remains possible.
UFC 216 takes place October 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tony Ferguson takes on Kevin Lee for the interim lightweight title in the main event. The evening’s co-main event features Demetious Johnson defending his flyweight title against Ray Borg, a fight originally expected to take place at UFC 215 prior to Borg falling ill.
