Former UFC Title Contender Suspended For Two Years

Former UFC title contender Chad Mendes won't be competing back inside the Octagon again for a very long time. Mendes, 31 years old, was handed a two-year suspension by the USADA on Wednesday following his admittance to using a banned substance.

Mendes, who was bested by Frankie Edgar this past December, can compete again in June of next year after serving his time. He tested positive for a growth-hormone releasing peptide during an out-of-competition test in May.

Last July, Mendes fought Conor McGregor for the interim UFC featherweight title after stepping in as a replacement for Jose Aldo. He lost that fight via second round TKO. The Team Alpha Male competitor also fought Aldo for the UFC belt in 2014, losing via decision, and 2012, losing via first round knockout.

Below is the complete statement from the USADA regarding the issue:

USADA announced today that UFC athlete Chad Mendes, of Sacramento, Calif., has received a two-year sanction for an anti-doping policy violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Mendes, 31, tested positive for GHRP-6 (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hexapeptide) following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on May 17, 2016. GHRP-6 is a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides are listed as Non-Specified Substances on the WADA Prohibited List. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the standard sanction for an anti-doping policy violation involving a Non-Specified Substance is a two-year period of ineligibility.

Mendes' two-year period of ineligibility began on June 10, 2016, the date on which he received a provisional suspension. In addition, Mendes has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to May 17, 2016, the date of sample collection, including forfeiture of any title, ranking, purse or other compensation.

USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. The anti-doping program run by USADA for UFC athletes includes education, science and research, testing, and results management. Official UFC Anti-Doping Program information and athlete resources are available at UFC.USADA.org.