Former UFC heavyweight champion, Josh Barnett was able to prove his innocence with the USADA.
The Veteran heavyweight tested positive for Ostarine in an out-of-competition drug test stemming from Dec. 9, 2016. He was on the verge of facing a four year of suspension and decide to take his case to arbitration.
After a lengthy legal battle, Josh proved that the positive drug test happened due to a tainted supplement and he is free to re-compete.
Shortly, after the decision was made public, Barnett took to social media and released a statement:
“I proved my innocence as I stated from the beginning and now I can look towards getting back in the ring in the neat future.
The time I lost though can never be regained. It should not havr had to come to all of this.
Ever onwards…”
I proved my innocence as I stated from the beginning and now I can look towards getting back in the ring in the neat future.
The time I lost though can never be regained. It should not havr had to come to all of this.
Ever onwards… https://t.co/HfeUrteKjA
— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 (@JoshLBarnett) March 24, 2018
Josh 38, has not fought since September 2016, scores a submission win over Andrei Arlovski.
The arbiter who handled Barnett’s case released a statement, where he believed Josh didn’t mean to cheat as he had taken a contaminated supplement:
“On the evidence before me, the Applicant is not a drug cheat. He unknowingly ingested a Contaminated Product. In so doing, he did commit an ADPV [Anti-Doping Policy Violation] because he had a Prohibited Substance in his Sample but he did not actively engage in attempting, in any way, to engage in the use of the Prohibited Substance.”
Just a note, Ostarine is not approved by the FDA and is illegally sold in the U.S as a performance-enhancer.
