Amanda Ribas faces hefty suspension issued by USADA that spoiled her planned UFC debut.
Amanda Ribas, a Brazilian strawweight on Wednesday, accepted a two-year suspension from USADA due to a positive test for the banned substance ostarine in an out-of-competition urine sample facilitated on June 7.
The failed drug test, which abandoned Ribas’ promotional debut against Juliana Lima on the undercard of The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale last summer and was provisionally suspended in June.
In addition to the USADA suspension, Ribas’ failed drug test also examined by Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), which will also likely impose a sanction on her. That means she won’t be able to fight again until June 7, 2019.
As per USADA statement:
“Ribas, 24, tested positive for ostarine following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on June 7, 2017. Ostarine is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.”
“Ostarine also known as MK-2866 and Enobosarm, is a non-FDA approved selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that is illegally sold in the United States and worldwide as a performance-enhancing substance. Ostarine is not currently available as a prescription medication in any country, and its unauthorized use may carry serious side effects.”
Here’s a full statement from Ribas:
“This is Amanda Ribas. I am fighter under contract to the UFC. Recently one of my anti doping tests performed by USADA came out positive for the steroid Ostarine.
“This would have been my debut in the UFC and the fulfillment of my dream!
“Those who know me, know my opinion and thoughts on PEDs. I was a Brazilian National Judo team member, and I am a professional MMA fighter. I have always been completely against any kind of cheating and the use of any of these kinds of products!
“When the test came back positive, I, along with my manager and trainer, gathered all the supplements and medicines I had been using, and sent them to USADA to try to find out how this had shown up in my body. Not only had I not used it, up until that moment, I had never even heard of Ostarine!
“After spending a lot of money on the testing of the supplements (which is paid for by the athlete), we were unable to find Ostarine in any of the products. However, we did find clumbeterol, which also is a forbidden substance, but oddly enough, never showed up in my tests.
“I have never used anything like this in my life, and I feel extremely humiliated and victimized at being punished for something I did not do. The fact that clumbeterol appeared in one of my supplements shows the poor quality and low standards of many of the supplement products on sale in Brazil and worldwide. For sure, I used a supplement that contained traces of Ostarine, but since it never occurred to me that things like this could happen, I must have used it up and thrown it away.
“It happened to me, and it has happened to other Brazilian athletes as well as athletes from other countries. I want to declare my innocence, and leave an urgent warning to all other athletes in Brazil and worldwide. This happens! It represents a huge risk to our lives and our careers! I will make it my mission to tell the world what happened to me, so that maybe I can avoid it happening to somebody else!
“I will serve my suspension, I will train hard, and I will come back and become UFC Champion!”
Ribas is currently 6-1 overall, with five of her six wins coming by way of knockout or submission. Her only loss was against Polyana Viana Mota via KO punches back in 2015.
What do you think the future holds for Ribas, as USADA has handed her a major suspension?
