Cynthia Calvillo fails drug test for marijuana metabolites

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on January 19, 2018.

Cynthia Calvillo, a promising star in the UFC strawweight division, has been informed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for a potential violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy three weeks after she lost a unanimous decision to former champion Carla Esparza at UFC 219.

The UFC announced in a statement Wednesday evening that 30-year-old Calvillo tested positive for a marijuana metabolite (Carboxy-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Carboxy-THC), above the decision limit of 180 ng/mL, stemming from an in-competition sample collected in conjunction with her recent bout in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 30, 2017, UFC 219: Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm.

Carboxy-THC is described in the release as “a metabolite of marijuana and/or hashish.”

“USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Calvillo, as it relates to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and future UFC participation,” the statement read.

Besides USADA, the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), which has jurisdiction over Calvillo, shall also determine sanctions in this regard.

“Because the Nevada Athletic Commission was the regulatory body overseeing the fight in Las Vegas and has licensing jurisdiction over Calvillo, USADA will work to ensure that the Nevada Athletic Commission has the necessary information to determine its proper judgment of Calvillo’s potential anti-doping violation,” the statement added.

The most recent case of a UFC fighter failing marijuana test involved middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum. He was flagged by USADA last April, which led to a win over Vitor Belfort being overturned to a no contest, and received a three-month suspension.

Calvillo’s loss to Esparza at UFC 219 in last December was her first defeat in six professional appearances. The Team Alpha Male product, who had debuted in the promotion in early 2017, began her Octagon tenure with victories over Amanda Bobby Cooper, Pearl Gonzalez and Joanne Calderwood.

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