In November 2019 the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the English MMA Athlete Chi Lewis-Parry after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substances Boldenone, Drostanolone, Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone and Stanozolol. In March 2020 USADA reported a second doping rule violation against the Athlete for Tampering with aggravating circumstances.
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the UFC Arbitration Panel.
In this case there were delays in the proceedings attributed to the Athlete. He filed complaints against USADA; he requested for extentions; he failed timely to submit his supplements for testing; he requested again for a continuance of the hearing due to COVID-19.
Analysis of the Athlete's supplement USN Muscle Fuel in the London Lab in July 2020 showed no prohibited substances. However analysis of another container of USN Muscle Fuel in the London Lab in October 2020 revealed the presence of Stanozolol in an extreme high concentration.
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substances and accepted the presence of these substances in his samples claiming that his use of a contaminated supplement had caused the positve test.
The Sole Arbitrator finds that USADA's charges for Presence and Tampering holds and that the Athlete's charges against USADA appeared to be mere allegations of positive misstatement.
The Sole Arbitrator establishes that there are indeed aggravating circumstances in this case due to the Athlete's conduct and because of the inconsistencies in the statements and evidence the he provided:
- he was granted several extensions;
- he failed timely to submit his supplements for testing to the London Lab;
- very late he submitted a second container to the London Lab in September 2020 two weeks before the scheduled hearing.
- he failed to explain the circumstances regarding the second container he had found and submitted for testing;
- the second container appeared to be manufactured after he was already tested positive;
- there wasn't any evidence that he he had purchased this container;
- only manual manipulation could explain the extreme high concentraton of Stanozolol found in this second container;
- his negative COVID-19 tests in September 2020 appeared to be conducted before he claimed that he had contracted COVID-19.
The Sole Arbitrator concludes that it is clear that the Athlete had provided false evidence and attempted to obstruct the Arbitration. Accordingly a proportionate and approprate sanction is justified due to these aggravating circumstances.
Therefore the Sole Arbitrator of the UFC Arbitration Panel decides on 4 December 2020 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 1 November 2019.
