UFC middleweight Marc-Andre Barriault doesn’t yet know what the Nevada Athletic Commission plans on doing with his recent positive drug screen, but he wants the public to know that he isn’t a cheater.
Barriault (12-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) fought at UFC on ESPN 11 in June, picking up an impressive second-round TKO win over Oskar Piechota. However, it was recently revealed by the NAC that he failed a drug test associated with the event. Barriault said he was flagged for “an extremely low level” of ostarine, a “selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that is not approved for human use or consumption in the U.S., or in any other country,” according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Barriault today had his temporary suspension extended by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which is expected to offer a full decision on his case in September. However, the Canadian athlete issued a statement insisting he has never “knowingly used any prohibited substance” and believes a supplement contaminant is to blame for the test result.
You can read Barriault’s statement in full below:
Following a communication from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) last week, I wanted to clarify the current situation to all my fans, the medias and everybody involved in the sport of mixed martial arts.
I was notified last week that an in-competition sample that I provided to the NSAC the night of my last fight on June 20, 2020 was positive for an extremely low level (approximately 190 picograms or 190 parts per trillion) of the prohibited substance, Ostarine. First and foremost, I want to make things crystal clear, I did not intentionally use Ostarine, nor have I ever knowingly used any prohibited substance in my career. Since the beginning of my professional career, I have been tested 3 times by the Quebec athletic commission, and a total of 7 times under the UFC/USADA program and have always tested negative.
Since I found out about this last week, I have learned quite a bit about Ostarine, specifically that it is commonly found as a low-level contaminant in certain dietary supplements, often at levels that provide absolutely no performance enhancing benefit. I strongly believe that a supplement contaminant is the reason for my low level positive, and I am actively working with the UFC on reviewing and testing supplements that I have used prior to my June 20th fight, in the hope of identifying the culprit.
While I am extremely disappointed in this development, I am looking forward to finding a definitive explanation for my low-level positive test, to fully cooperating with the NSAC and to getting back to work in the Octagon soon.
Ostarine is a substance certainly gaining familiarity to MMA fans. Rachael Ostovich, Ovince Saint Preux, Diego Sanchez and Sean O’Malley have all faced recent suspensions due to the substance, with investigations pointing to tainted supplements in each of the cases.
Marc-Andre Barriault 'disappointed' in ostarine finding but vows to prove innocence
