Former UFC heavyweight Frank Mir has finally learned his fate following a failed drug test a year ago under USADA. For Mir, it’s not good news: two years on the sidelines. Having served a year already, that’s still another year to sit out. Just under, as the suspension was backdated to April 8, 2016. USADA confirmed the news today via a release on their website.
The soon-to-be thirty-eight year old Mir tested positive for a long-term metabolite of dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT) following his knockout loss to Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 85 in March 2016 in Brisbane, Australia. Per USADA, “DHCMT is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy.”
After testing positive, Mir denied any wrong doing and suggested a number of possibilities for the test failure, including tainted kangaroo meat.
Interestingly, the failed test is reported by USADA to have used a new testing technique by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo, Japan. After Mir’s positive test, which was in-competition, an out-of-competition sample provided by Mir from February of 2016 was re-tested, and also found to be positive for DHCMT metabolites.
Mir, who has previously asked to be released from his UFC contract, will be required to remain in the USADA testing pool for the duration of his suspension. The heavyweight won the UFC title at UFC 48 in 2004, defeating Tim Sylvia by arm-bar. However, he was stripped of the belt following a motorcycle accident. He’d win interim gold in 2008 after knocking out Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira before losing to Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight championship in the second of their two fights.
