UFC welterweight Daniel Rodriguez has accepted a three-month suspension from USADA after testing positive for trace amounts of banned substances, but maintains the positive result was due to a contaminated supplement.
Daniel Rodriguez’s UFC drug test saga has finally reached its conclusion. The veteran UFC welterweight accepted a three-month suspension from USADA on Thursday. This came after he tested positive for trace amounts of ostarine and LGD-4033 in an out-of-competition drug screening. This was before his planned bout against Santiago Ponzinibbio on Sept. 16.
Rodriguez’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his failed test, which was collected on July 28. So, it’s already expired. But here’s the kicker: Rodriguez’s USADA sanction also runs in tandem with a previous six-month suspension. This was from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which means Rodriguez can compete again on Jan. 28, 2024.
Rodriguez, who has a record of 17-4, revealed in August that he tested positive for an “extremely low level” of ostarine. This is a banned selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM). Rodriguez was adamant that a “supplement contaminant” was the reason for his positive test. Ostarine has been linked to several tainted supplement cases in the past.
“I want to clarify, I did not intentionally use Ostarine,” Rodriguez stated on Instagram this past August. He also added, “nor have I ever knowingly used any prohibited substance in my career.” He confessed to rarely taking any form of supplements and always striving to care for his body naturally. He’s had a negative test every single time from his first fight until now. Not one slip up, not one positive test until now.
Rodriguez became educated on Ostarine after he was notified of his positive test. He learned that Ostarine is commonly found as a low-level contaminant in certain dietary supplements. These levels provide absolutely no performance-enhancing benefit. Rodriguez strongly believes that a supplement contaminant is the reason for his low-level positive.
The bout with Ponzinibbio was ultimately cancelled. A real bummer, right?
According to a USADA release, Rodriguez was able to prove that his positive test was caused by a contaminated product. The low levels detected in the product would not have benefited his performance. This led to Rodriguez’s reduced sanction.
Rodriguez hasn’t competed since losing via first-round knockout to Ian Machado Garry this past May. In total, “D-Rod” has won seven of his 10 UFC appearances. He’s defeated the likes of Kevin Lee, Mike Perry, Li Jingliang, and Tim Means. Quite the resume, huh?