A Brazilian bantamweight coming off a loss in her promotional debut is the latest UFC fighter in hot water with USADA.
UFC women’s bantamweight Amanda Lemos had been flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation. The promotion, already having a hectic day Thursday, announced the news in a statement on their official website. Lemos (6-1-1), a native of Brazil, has a single fight in the promotion to date. She did not have an upcoming bout scheduled.
Per the promotion’s official statement:
The UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Amanda Lemos of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on November 8, 2017.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Lemos. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, there is a full and fair legal process that is afforded to all athletes before any sanctions are imposed. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time as the process moves forward.
Lemos suffered the first loss of her professional career at UFC Fight Night 113 this past July. That night, her UFC debut, she found herself paired up with the ever-dangerous Leslie Smith. It took ‘The Peacemaker’ roughly a round and a half to finish Lemos via TKO. Prior to the Smith loss, the Brazilian was undefeated. The closest thing to a blemish on her record had been a draw; that came against Mayra Cantuaria Rodrigues under the Jungle Fights banner in 2016.
Neither the promotion nor the USADA itself released the name of the substance(s) Lemos tested positive for. That is standard procedure in anti-doping violation cases under the U.S Anti-Doping Agency. Lemos has yet to make any comment on the matter.
Trouble Brewing?
Curiously, on an unverified Twitter account attributed to her, Lemos made reference to a suspension over the Summer:
I haven't got suspended from @UFC I'm hopefully trying to get back into camp in the next 3 weeks, I'm waiting for the call for my next fight
— Amanda Lemos (@Lemosmma) July 26, 2017
That same account also suggested she might have a fight lined up in Australia in November. However, she did not appear on the recent UFC Sydney card. Interestingly, the account in question has been dormant since the end of July.
