Earlier this week, it was announced that former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida had been suspended 18 months by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for the usage of an illegal substance, despite the fact that DHEA has no performance enhancing qualities.
Machida has recently spoken out against USADA, claiming that the drug testing organization is ruining the sport of MMA and the UFC in general.
"First of all, I want to say that I am very disappointed in USADA. I think this is all extremely unfair. I take the blame for 7-Keto. It wasn’t a banned substance since I bought it over the counter in a supplement store when it stated on it’s label 60 vegetarian capsules. For me, USADA didn’t give us proper instructions and I think they failed in educating us about everything. To be honest, they only sent me a list of banned supplements after my suspension, two days later. But before, when it was supposed to be, it didn’t happen. When UFC brought USADA in, I thought it was to instruct and educate all the fighters. Instead they came in to punish in an unreasonable fashion. So they came to the academy and I explained everything and disclosed everything during the test. I didn't know it was banned substance. Unfortunately, they didn’t see my honesty,” said Machida on The MMA Hour.
Machida also took the time to explain why he was using the banned substance, which had to do with relaxation, according to the former champion.
"I came from two losses in a row. I was very hard training at that moment and so stressed. I used that for stress relief. I didn’t know that. My intention was in a good way. How could I take this supplement to the fight if I know it was banned? How? Somebody on a good conscious didn't do that at all. I took the supplement. I have two witness when I took it in my room and I knew that I would get blood test anytime. I took them because I didn’t know. So, I take the blame, made mistake, Okay, I get it. But I think it was extremely unfair to punish me like that,”” said Machida.
Machida had not fought since suffering a knockout loss to Yoel Romero at UFC Fight Night 70, he is not eligible to compete again until October 2017.
