UFC middleweight Oskar Piechota faces a 22-month suspension from the United States Anti-Doing Agency after failing a drug test.
USADA conducts the year-round, independent anti-doping program for all UFC athletes. It makes various ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport possible in an attempt to protect athletes who are clean and promote healthy competition.
USADA officials announced the sanction on Wednesday. “Piechota, 31, tested positive for growth hormone releasing peptide 2 (GHRP-2 or pralmorelin) and GHRP-2 (1-3) free acid, a metabolite of GHRP-2, as the result of a urine sample collected on September 25, 2020,” USADA officials said in a statement.
“GHRP-2 is a specified substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics and is prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited List.
“Piechota received a reduction to the default two-year sanction based on his Full and Complete Cooperation. His 22-month period of ineligibility began on September 25, 2020, the date his positive sample was collected.”
According to the officials, he will be eligible to return after September 25, 2022. He will be out of action till then.
He tested positive for GHRP-2, which is a growth-hormone-releasing peptide. It is designed to amp up the body’s natural production of growth hormones.
There have instances in the past where fighters have been suspended for use of GHRP-2. This includes former middleweight and light and heavyweight competitor C.B. Dollaway.
Currently, Piechota does not have any wins in his last four UFC appearances. His recent technical knockout defeat to Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC on ESPN 111 was overturned after Barriault tested positive for ostarine.
He sports a 2-3 record with one no contest in the UFC.
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