Chad Mendes handed two-year USADA suspension after failed drug test

CHAD ‘Money’ Mendes won’t be making much money from fighting for the next couple of years after being slapped with a TWO-YEAR USADA suspension.

UFC star Mendes tested positive for GHRP-6, a peptide which promotes the production of growth hormone in the body. It’s on the WADA/USADA banned list and tested for both in and out of competition.

Mendes, who twice challenged Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title and battled Conor McGregor for the interim title at UFC 189, has long been considered one of the elite fighters in the UFC’s 145lb division.

But his involvement in one of the UFC’s most talent-stacked weight classes will now be on hold as he sits out the next two years following his anti-doping suspension.

USADA released a statement confirming the suspension. It read: “USADA announced today that UFC athlete Chad Mendes, of Sacramento, Calif., has received a two-year sanction for an anti-doping policy violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

“Mendes, 31, tested positive for GHRP-6 (Growth Hormone-Releasing Hexapeptide) following an out-of-competition urine test conducted on May 17, 2016.

“GHRP-6 is a prohibited substance in the class of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

“Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides are listed as Non-Specified Substances on the WADA Prohibited List. Under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the standard sanction for an anti-doping policy violation involving a Non-Specified Substance is a two-year period of ineligibility.

“Mendes’ two-year period of ineligibility began on June 10, 2016, the date on which he received a provisional suspension.

“In addition, Mendes has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to May 17, 2016, the date of sample collection, including forfeiture of any title, ranking, purse or other compensation.”