USADA ‘willing to assist’ NAC in Sean O’Malley case

USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping partner, has released a statement on bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley’s latest anti-doping case.

USADA has confirmed Sean O’Malley’s latest anti-doping case.

Multiple recent samples taken from the UFC bantamweight prospect contained trace amounts of ostarine, per a USADA statement. However, he is not facing a violation from the UFC’s anti-doping partner. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) was notified of the positive tests on June 15, per the statement.

“In reaction to Mr. O’Malley’s statement made via social media, USADA can confirm that the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) was notified on June 15, 2019, that additional samples collected on Mr. O’Malley were reported by WADA-accredited laboratories to contain trace amounts of ostarine,” USADA spokesperson Adam Woullard wrote in a statement sent to Bloody Elbow on Saturday.

O’Malley announced on social media last week that USADA found ostarine at an “extremely low level” in his system in two recent drug tests. “Suga” served a six-month USADA suspension last year for two previous failures for ostarine. USADA determined that positive results were consistent with supplement contamination. O’Malley said that the anti-doping agency told him that the more recent positive tests were “residual” from last year’s ingestion of the substance.

NAC temporarily suspended O’Malley while it looks into the case, according to the fighter. As a result of that, he was pulled from his fight with Marlon Vera at UFC 239, which takes place early next month in Las Vegas.

“As always, sanctioning bodies for each hosting state have jurisdiction over fighter participation and — taking all facts into account — are able to come to their own conclusions under their rules,” the USADA statement read. “USADA stands ready and willing to assist the NSAC in resolving this issue, as needed.”