Whoops! USADA Mistake Let Fighter Compete After Failed Drug Test

A failed drug test for Irina Alekseeva fell through the cracks for months, allowing her to compete in the UFC after signs of exogenous testosterone were found in her system.

The UFC has released a statement on their website calling out USADA for screwing up the administration of a failed drug test for one of their fighters.

According to the entry on UFC.com authored by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), “Russian Ronda” Irina Alekseeva failed a drug test on June 21st, 2023, which was when USADA was still running UFC’s drug testing program. Alekseeva’s urine contained ‘values consistent with the administration of testosterone of exogenous origin.’

But USADA didn’t bother to report this drug test failure to Alekseeva or UFC for months.

“USADA failed to report the results of this sample to her and to UFC until October 31, 2023, more than four (4) months after the sample was collected and AFTER Alekseeva was allowed to compete in a UFC event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 14, 2023,” the statement read.

The UFC ended it’s relationship with USADA at the end of 2023 (under somewhat acrimonious circumstances), and now uses CSAD. The new drug testing regime hasn’t been as visible as USADA was, but seem to be administrating things in a fair and competent manner thus far.

“While CSAD was not the independent administrator of the UFC ADP during the above-described time period, CSAD recognizes the importance of promptly reporting results on samples collected in the months and weeks leading up to a UFC event BEFORE the event takes place,” the statement read. “CSAD also recognizes that positive results reported out more than 4-months after a sample is collected, and where the athlete is allowed to compete in a UFC bout in the interim, is unacceptable.”

CSAD contacted Alekseeva once their program took over and conducted a full investigation into all of her testing surrounding the failed drug test. Three tests given after the initial test failure all came back with no signs of exogenous testosterone. But due to the delay between failing the test and being notified of the failure, Alekseeva’s team wasn’t able to investigate a detailed list of supplements that may have caused the strange drug test result.

In the past, USADA would have said too bad, so sad, two year suspension. Given the goofy situation surrounding the test notification, CSAD is giving her 12 months from the day she last competed for UFC, which was October 15, 2023.