Giacomo Lemos Accepts Two Year Suspension From USADA

Giacomo Lemos was scheduled to face Tanner Boser in a heavyweight division affair at UFC 240, but was pulled from the bout due to a potential USADA violation. 

It has been revealed now that Lemos tested positive for an illegal substance and has accepted a two year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Lemos is going to be able to return to action on July of 2021, since the suspension is retroactive to the date of the test failure.

USADA issued the following press release on the matter:

Giacomo Y Frederico Salvador de Lemos Accepts Sanction for Violation of UFC Anti-Doping Policy

USADA announced today that Giacomo Y Frederico Salvador de Lemos, of Santa Catarina, Brazil, has accepted a two-year sanction for a violation of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Lemos, 30, tested positive for drostanolone and its metabolite 2α-methyl-5α-androstan-3α-ol-17-one as the result of an out-of-competition urine sample he provided on July 9, 2019. Drostanolone is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

Lemos’ two-year period of ineligibility, the standard sanction for a non-Specified Substance under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, began on July 9, 2019, the date his positive sample was collected.

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.