Levi Rodrigues impressed Dana White enough to earn a UFC contract on Contender Series, but now finds himself needing to go before the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).
In relation to his Oct. 14 bout vs. Freddy Vidal in Las Vegas, Rodrigues (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) tested positive for prohibited substance nandrolone in a NAC drug test, his manager, Lucas Lutkus, of All In Sports Management, informed MMA Junkie on Tuesday. Rodrigues defeated Vidal by first-round TKO.
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Rodrigues, 29, was on the agenda for Tuesday’s NAC monthly meeting. However, a resolution on a potential suspension and fine were not ready. Rodrigues will remain on temporary suspension until the matter is sorted.
The positive test caught Rodrigues and his team off guard, said Lutkus. However, nandrolone wasn’t an unfamiliar substance and he thinks they have keyed in what potentially occurred. From May 2024 to July 2024, Rodrigues used nandrolone for a back injury. His use stopped a little over one year before he got the call for Dana White’s Contender Series.
Medical studies show nandrolone can remain detectable in one’s system for up to 18 months. Lutkus has a strong hunch that is the reason for the failed test, adding that Rodrigues disclosed all other supplements and products to the UFC as was required prior to his DWCS onboarding.
Lutkus said Rodrigues will fully cooperate with any and all NAC and UFC processes related to the matter.
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Read the full statement Lutkus provided to MMA Junkie below:
It’s unclear what will happen to Rodrigues from here. He is likely to have his win overturned to a no contest regardless of circumstance. When it comes to UFC contract-earners having results overturned to no contests on DWCS, the promotion has a mixed history of whether or not it rescinds the contract.
Antonio Trocoli had his UFC contract rescinded in 2019 for a failed drug test, but Lukasz Brzeski did not encounter the same promotional punishment for a 2021 failure.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC contract earner fails drug test, but team offers up explanation
