Former UFC flyweight Ryan Benoit
has been suspended 10 months for an anti-doping violation, USADA
announced Monday.
Benoit tested positive for modafinil and its metabolite, modafinil
acid, in a urine sample collected at UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31.
Modafinil, which is listed in the stimulant category, is typically
used to reduce sleepiness in disorders such as narcolepsy or sleep
apnea and is banned as an in-competition drug by USADA.
Benoit received a reduction in what would normally be a two-year
suspension once in was determined that he used the drug out of
competition. The Janjiri Muay Thai representative will be able to
return to active competition on May 31, 2022. Benoit previously
received a nine-month term from the Nevada State Athletic
Commission for the failed drug test.
Benoit, 32, dropped a unanimous decision to Zarrukh
Adashev at UFC on ESPN 28, his third consecutive defeat within
the Las Vegas-based promotion. He was released from UFC following
that defeat. “Baby Face” went 3-6 in the Octagon from November 2013
to July 2021. Though Benoit is no longer under the UFC banner, the
suspension is typically recognized by most athletic
commissions.
The full USADA statement regarding Benoit is as follows:
USADA announced today that Ryan Benoit,
of McKinney, Texas, has accepted a 10-month sanction for a
violation of the UFC® Anti-Doping Policy.
Benoit, 32, tested positive for modafinil and its metabolite,
modafinil acid, as the result of a urine sample collected on July
31, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 194. Modafinil is a Non-Specified
Substance in the class of Stimulants and is prohibited
in-competition under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy and UFC Prohibited
List.
USADA determined that Benoit was eligible for a reduction to the
otherwise applicable two-year period of ineligibility based on the
circumstances of the case, including the fact that he established
that his use of the prohibited substance occurred out of
competition. He also received a reduction for his Full and Complete
Cooperation.
Benoit’s 10-month period of ineligibility began on July 31, 2021,
the date his positive sample was collected. Benoit’s positive test
also falls under the jurisdiction of the Nevada State Athletic
Commission, which has resolved the case in accordance with its
rules.