UFC Featherweight Yair Rodriguez has been issued a six month suspension by USADA for a whereabouts failures. Rodriguez failed to report his location to USADA multiple times during a 12-month period. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a statement regarding Rodriguez’s suspension on Thursday…
“Like all UFC athletes, Rodriguez, 28, is a member of the UFC Registered Testing Pool and is therefore subject to certain Whereabouts responsibilities, which allow him to be located for testing. Accurate Whereabouts information is a crucial component of an effective out-of-competition testing program because it enables anti-doping organizations to conduct no-notice sample collections, which helps maintain effective doping deterrence and detection.”
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
Rodriguez Eligible For UFC Return In March 2021
During the post fight press conference at UFC Vegas 15, Dana White seemed on edge when asked about Yair Rodriguez. White decided to not address as to exactly why Rodriguez would not be fighting anytime soon. Although White originally claimed it was not due to “UFC Business” as to why Yair would not be fighthing, it seems that is exactly why we won’t be seeing Rodriguez any time soon. Although MMA fans now know the true reason why Yair won’t be returning until Spring 2021, some were assuming it could have been due to legal reasons.
Rodriguez hasn’t been in the octagon since October 2019 when he defeated Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision. Their first bout was ruled a No Contest due to an accidental eye poke. Rodriguez was scheduled to fight Zabit Magomedsharipov in August 2020 but was forced to pull out of the fight due to an ankle injury. Yair is one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC. Reporting to USADA and submitting drug tests is priority #1 when it comes to being a MMA fighter, so Yair really needs to get it together.
