Credit: Andy Hemingway, Sherdog.com
World-class jiu-jitsu practitioner, Robert Drysdale, is out of his UFC debut fight at UFC 167 due to elevated levels of testosterone. This is the second time this year that Drysdale was scheduled to make his debut in the UFC. He was originally scheduled to fight Ednaldo Oliveira at UFC 163, but had to pull out of the fight due to staph infection.
Drysdale was then scheduled to fight at UFC 167 against Cody Donovan, but he failed his pre-licensing drug test for the fight. His results showed an elevated Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio of 19.4:1 (Souce: MMA Junkie) Nevada’s state’s limit is 6:1.
The NSAC declined to license Drysdale, and therefore he will not fight Donovan at UFC 167. It was also reported by MMA Junkie that Drysdale had filed for a TUE (therapeutic use exemption) to use TRT for his fight at UFC 163 against Oliveira.
Less than a month before his scheduled UFC debut at UFC 163 against Ednaldo Oliveira earlier this year, he submitted paperwork to obtain a therapeutic-use exemption (TUE) to undergo testosterone-replacement therapy (TRT), according to documents MMAjunkie.com obtained through a public records request.
‘On his application, which is dated July 8, 2013, the 32-year-old Drysdale stated the TUE request was his first. He certified that he hadn’t used or was currently using banned substances and had no previous positive tests. Also included in the paperwork was a letter from a Las Vegas-based anti-aging clinic, TrimBody M.D., that stated Drysdale was taking weekly testosterone injections at the clinic to treat hypogonadism.
Additionally, a blood exam from Clinical Pathology Laboratories showed Drysdale had a free testosterone level of 156 ng/mL, which was below the testing facility’s normal range of 292 ng/mL to 1052 ng/mL. He was within the laboratory’s normal range for follicle-stimulating hormone (6.0 mIU/mL) and luteinizing hormone (2.1 mIU/mL).’ (Source: MMA Junkie)
Keith Kizer, NSAC director, said that Drysdale’s request for the TUE was denied. There is no word whether or not Drysdale will be getting a suspension from the NSAC or the UFC. Will the UFC allow Drysdale to fight in the UFC if he gets clean? Either way, this is not good for a fighter so many BJJ fans are eager to see.