Melissa Gatto Accepts One Year USADA Suspension

Melissa Gatto failed an out of competition drug test administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) this past June, testing positive for a substance known as furosemide. 

The fighter has now accepted a one year suspension from USADA and since the suspension is retroactive to the date of the drug test failure, it will allow Gatto to return on June 5 of 2020. 

USADA issued the following press release:

Melissa Gatto Regonha Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy

USADA announced today that Melissa Gatto Regonha, of Paraná, Brazil, has accepted a one-year sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Gatto Regonha, 23, tested positive for furosemide as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample she provided on June 5, 2019. Furosemide is a Specified Substance in the class of Diuretics and Masking Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

Gatto Regonha’s one-year period of ineligibility began on June 5, 2019, the date her positive sample was collected. Regonha’s positive test also falls under the jurisdiction of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which has imposed a sanction in accordance with its rules.

USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. USADA is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency whose sole mission is to preserve the integrity of competition, inspire true sport, and protect the rights of clean athletes. In an effort to aid UFC athletes, as well as their support team members, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on the UFC Anti-Doping Program website (https://UFC.USADA.org) regarding the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.

In addition, the agency manages a drug reference hotline, Drug Reference Online (https://UFC.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as the Prohibited List, easy-reference wallet cards, and periodic athlete alerts. Many of the resources available to athletes are provided in multiple languages, including Russian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese.

Along with education and testing, robust anti-doping programs enable investigations stemming from tips and whistleblowers. USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by email at playclean @usada.org, by phone at 1 877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253), or by mail.