Bellator MMA bantamweight Mike Richman and welterweight Fernando Gonzalez both failed post-fight drug tests following this past month’s Bellator 137 event, the California State Athletic Commission today confirmed.
CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster told MMAjunkie that Richman (18-6 MMA, 7-5 BMMA), whom ex-champ Eduardo Dantas (17-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) outpointed, was flagged for a performance-enhancing drug while Gonzalez (24-13 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), who submitted Curtis Millender (7-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA), tested positive for marijuana, his second such offense.
The fighters both competed on Spike TV-televised main card of the May 15 event at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.
Foster declined to cite the specific drug for which Richman tested positive, citing privacy laws. A tweet from Sherdog said it was a steroid.
In a prepared statement, a Bellator rep said of the positive tests, “Andy Foster of the California State Athletic Commission has notified us of two positive tests following Bellator 137, Mike Richman for PEDs and Fernando Gonzalez for marijuana.
“We’ve been informed that these fighters will be subject to suspensions and a fines. We here at Bellator stand behind the commission 100 percent in this process and remain committed to keeping MMA clean of substance abuse.”
According to Foster, Richman will be suspended two years and fined $2,500 for the rule infraction. The term is significantly longer than previous suspensions handed out to fighters for positive PED tests, which usually range between nine months and one year. The shift reflects a get-tough stance on banned substances by the commission, which could soon take up to 40 percent of a fighter’s purse if a bill passes the state legislature.
LINK: Bellator’s Mike Richman suspended two years after failed drug test | MMAjunkie
I hope fans are ready to see fighters suspended for years at a time.
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