Brock Lesnar gets his hand raised after defeating Mark Hunt at UFC 200 (Photo/Associated Press)Brock Lesnar, former University of Minnesota wrestling champ, current WWE star and past UFC champ, reportedly failed a drug test administered before his triumphant return to the Octagon at UFC 200, with multiple side stories springing up around the allegations.
Ultimate Fighting Championship revealed Friday afternoon that the United States Anti-Doping Agency had flagged Lesnar for potentially violating their doping policy by having a banned substance in his system. The sample in question was taken by USADA on June 28, more than a week before his unanimous decision over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 last Saturday night. The results were discovered on July 14.
"USADA received the testing results from the June 28, 2016 sample collection from the WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency]-accredited UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory on the evening of July 14, 2016," the USADA said in a statement issued Friday.
Lesnar, who turned 39 earlier this week, has come back clean in multiple previous drug tests, MMAFighting.com confirmed Friday night with USADA.
USADA spokesperson Ryan Madden confirmed that Lesnar passed multiple tests before the June 28 sample came back positive for an undisclosed prohibited substance.
"With Mr. Lesnar having spoken publicly about the issue, I can confirm that he has been notified of a potential anti-doping policy violation, stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection on June 28, 2016," Madden said in a statement. "I can also confirm that the results from his previous samples collected by USADA were all reported as negative. Although USADA will not be providing any further specifics of the case at this time, I can tell you that Mr. Lesnar, as with every athlete under the UFC anti-doping policy, will be provided full due process under the rules."
"We'll get to the bottom of this," Lesnar said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Lesnar provided the AP with copies of three letters notifying him that he had passed USADA drug tests prior to UFC 200. In fact, Lesnar was tested eight times in the month leading up to his fight with Hunt, five of them in the first two weeks he was under the UFC's anti-doping policy.
The former UFC heavyweight champ was making his return to the Octagon at UFC 200 after four-and-a-half-years away from MMA. His return drew controversy when the UFC waived its rule that states retired fighters must inform USADA four months in advance of their of their return bout so they can be placed into the drug-testing pool.
All UFC competitors must comply with the organization's drug testing procedures administered by USADA. WWE, the professional wrestling organization where Lesnar has been working for a number of years, has its own separate testing policy for performance-enhancing drugs as part of its wellness program.
WWE had granted Lesnar permission to fight at UFC 200. It's unclear if Lesnar's possible USADA violation will affect his standing for its upcoming SummerSlam event in August or beyond with the company.
"Brock Lesnar has not performed for WWE since Wrestlemania and is not scheduled to return until August 21," WWE said in a statement.
Lesnar does have the option to test the B-sample, as is the right of any athlete who has been accused of failing a drug test, and will have the opportunity to clear his name with USADA.
There are potentially serious implications for Lesnar. The former heavyweight wrestling champ for the Minnesota Gophers could face a two-year suspension from UFC competition as well as sanctions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, as UFC 200 took place in Las Vegas. In addition, his victory could be overturned by the NAC, which also retains jurisdiction in this case because of the sample collection's proximity to the fight.
Hunt seeks justice -- and half the payday
Mark Hunt, who lost a unanimous decision against Lesnar at UFC 200, could end up looking like a winner if he gets his way.
On Friday, Hunt said that he has asked the UFC for half of Lesnar's purse, reportedly $2.5 million before pay-per-view income is factored in. Failing that, Hunt seeks to be released from his contract effective immediately.
According to the Washington Post, UFC rules state that fighters who fail drug tests "are subject to forfeiture of their UFC ranking, belt, and purse or other compensation."
Lesnar's UFC 200 opponent would like to see at least half of that money deposited into his own account.
"I saw Brock made millions for this fight, more than anyone ever," said Hunt. "I wanna know what they are gonna do to Brock now. When you don't make weight they give twenty percent of your purse to the other fighter. If you get caught cheating you should lose all of it.
"I've told [UFC President Dana White] I want half of Brock's purse."
"The cheaters get a slap on the wrist and walk off," Hunt said. "What penalty or deterrent is there to make them think twice? Nothing. And the (Nevada Athletic Commission), why should these (expletive) get anything? They are not the ones who had to fight with Lesnar or lose (to him). I lost."
Prior to UFC 200, Hunt called out Lesnar for steroids use, accusing the former UFC heavyweight champion of being "juiced to the gills."
In a media conference call days before UFC 200, the 6'3", 265-pound former collegiate wrestling champ responded directly to Hunt's claim.
"I've been dealing with that my entire life," Lesnar said. "I'm a white boy, and I'm jacked. Deal with it."
Take a deep breath ... and blame it on asthma?
One website reported that a post-collegiate training partner of Lesnar claims the agent which may have set off the USADA drug tests may be an Advair Diskus, a prescription medicine for the treatment of asthma.
The training partner, who identified himself only as D2, wrote, "As many of you know I train with Brock and have brought to this board a lot of inside information on camp and his comeback. Towards the end of camp we kept things fun and did a lot of outdoor conditioning in Alexandria MN. This caused a severe reaction one day with Mr. Lesnar. He literally would not stop hyperventilating for almost 10 minutes after 5 rounds of hill sprints mixed with kettlebell work. Brock suffers from what's called RAD otherwise known as Reactive Airway Disease his doctor for years has prescribed him."
"Advair Diskus which helps him breathe during the late spring and summer months here in Minnesota when he has episodes. This drug is classified as Beta-2 Agonists. So this is why he got popped by USADA ..."
"He did not take this medication while in Las Vegas because he breathes well in that climate so this gave him no special advantages over Mark Hunt ... I have other members here who can verify that I train with Brock."
Lesnar: Before UFC and WWE
Born on a farm outside Webster, South Dakota on July 12, 1977, Lesnar made a name for himself as a college wrestler for his physique and performance on the mat. He started his collegiate career at Bismarck Junior College in North Dakota, where he was crowned a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) champ in 1998. While at a tournament at Bismarck, Lesnar was spotted by Minnesota head coach J Robinson. The new recruit had an immediate impact on the Gophers and college wrestling. He was the subject of a popular "Brockfast of Champions" poster that not only showcased his physique but also pointed out his impressive measurements, including a 52" chest and 20" neck. No less a wrestling authority than Dan Gable said this about the heavyweight sensation during an Iowa vs. Minnesota telecast: "Lesnar turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong." Lesnar was a two-time NCAA Division I championships finalist at Minnesota, winning the heavyweight title at the 2000 NCAAs.
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