According to Sherdog.com, after deciding to come out of retirement and fight at UFC 200, WWE star Brock Lesnar has been granted a USADA exemption to compete at the event on July 9th.
Typically, the UFC Anti-Doping Policy standards require fighters to provide much more than a month’s notice if they plan to return to the octagon, and according to paragraph 5.7.1 of the UFC policy, a fighter coming out of retirement may not compete “until he/she has given UFC written notice of his/her intent to resume competing and has made him/herself available for Testing for a period of four months before returning to competition.”
There is a loophole, however, in the UFC policy which allows the promotion to exempt a fighter from the standard four month notice, and in the case of Lesnar, UFC did just that.
“UFC may grant an exemption to the four-month written notice rule in exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an Athlete,” the policy states.
UFC issued the following statement regarding Lesnar’s exemption from the Anti-Doping policy:
“On June 6, 2016, UFC heavyweight Brock Lesnar was registered by USADA into the UFC Anti-Doping Policy testing pool. As part of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, UFC may grant a former athlete an exemption to the four-month written notice rules in exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an athlete. Given Lesnar last competed in UFC on December 30, 2011, long before the UFC Anti-Doping Policy went into effect, for purposes of the Anti-Doping Policy, he is being treated similarly to a new athlete coming into the organization.
“While conversations with the heavyweight have been ongoing for some time, Lesnar required permission from WWE to compete in UFC 200 and only agreed to terms and signed a bout agreement last Friday. He was therefore unable to officially start the Anti-Doping Policy process any earlier. UFC, however, did notify Lesnar in the early stages of discussions that if he were to sign with the UFC, he would be subject to all of the anti-doping rules. Lesnar and his management have now been formally educated by USADA on the policy, procedures and expectations.”
Lesnar reportedly signed his UFC 200 fight contract last Friday, just one day before the announcement was made at UFC 199 that The Beast would be fighting in July.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
