It has been almost two years since two time UFC Featherweight Title challenger Chad Mendes was suspended for a USADA violation.
Despite being relatively quiet on the subject since the suspension was announced, a regretful Mendes now admits the test failure was his fault.
“It was my mistake,” Mendes said on The MMA Hour. “I got a product that was used for my my psoriasis, I didn’t pay attention there was a peptide in it that was on USADA’s banned list. I’ve been drug tested, randomly drug tested a bunch of times before my fights and I’ve never had any issues and I’ve been drug tested randomly a bunch of time since then and never had any issues. It was never a question of me trying to cheat or anything, It was just a mistake, I messed up, obviously I’m being tested by USADA and boom. I used it, I didn’t pay attention, and that’s basically the bottom line.”
Mendes is eligible to compete again in just under two months, but no opponent or return date has been announced at this time.
One thing the featherweight contender admits that the two year layoff has helped rekindle his fire to fight again.
“There’s a new desire,” Mendes said. “The fire is lit again and I’m feeling great, I’m nerding out in my training camp and getting really specific on things. It just feels good just to have that fire again. It makes me want to get in there and want to train and and push myself to the limit and do everything you need to do. It’s been great man, I’m excited.”
The last time MMA fans saw Mendes in the Octagon was a first round knockout loss to former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale.
