The UFC apparently is extending
Cung Le the privilege of contesting the positive on grounds of the accuracy/competency of the test. But this will be an
ad hoc process because the event in question was held in Macau. The UFC's non-USA events are "self-regulated" (not subject to Court of Arbitration for Sport) and they apparently have no codified appeals process. In the past, the vast majority of the UFC's PEDs positives have come from events in Nevada and California, where the appeal would fall to the state's sanctioning body. I don't know as they've ever had an appeal stemming from a non-USA fight.
Le's test results are
here The lab called his HGH out or range at 18.162 mIU/mL, but their criterion is under question. According to
Bloody Elbow, 20-30 mIU/mL is normal in a trained athlete after performing strenuous exercise.
And the lab itself is under fire, on both procedural and technical grounds. Le reportedly had two vials of blood drawn, but the lab only performed one test. Not only was there was no 'B' sample confirmation test, the samples were not maintained after testing. Further, not only is the (Hong Kong) lab not WADA-accredited, they didn't use either of WADA's approved HGH test procedures (Isoform and Biomarker).
And our old pal Dr. Don Catlin has thrown his hat into the ring ...
uh ...cage.
Catlin told Bloody Elbow's reporter, "If it was not the isoform test I would ignore [Cung Le's test] results."
There also is the question of why the UFC didn't have the testing done by WADA's Beijing lab, which also is closer to Macau than the lab they used in Hong Kong. I think they're insinuating that the UFC cheaped-out, putting the needs of Zuffa's P&L sheet ahead of the accuracy and professionalism of the testing. I also think Dana dramatically underestimated how complex this process can be, and it will end up being a can of worms he regrets having opened.
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