Brandon Moreno Not Punished for Failed Drug Test After Ingesting Contaminated Meat

Brandon Moreno will not be punished for a failed drug test from an in-competition urine sample collected on Aug. 6 after it was determined the UFC flyweight ingested contaminated meat.

Moreno tested positive for “trace amounts” of clenbuterol following his loss to Sergio Pettis at UFC Fight Night 114 in Mexico City on Aug. 5. According to USADA, “the issue of illicit administration of clenbuterol to animals destined for food production can result in, under specific conditions, a positive sample from an athlete,” particularly in Mexico and China. Athletes are encouraged to exercise caution when eating meat in “high risk” countries. A statement from USADA regarding Moreno is as follows:

USADA was informed of Moreno’s positive test result in September 2017, and immediately initiated an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the positive test. As part of the investigation, USADA interviewed Moreno and several of his associates, and reviewed all available relevant evidence, including Moreno’s Whereabouts, dietary habits, and the laboratory reports demonstrating very low parts per billion concentrations of the prohibited substance in the athlete’s urine sample. Based on this information, USADA concluded that the presence of clenbuterol in the athlete’s sample very likely resulted from clenbuterol contaminated meat consumed in Mexico. USADA’s investigation also took into consideration the negative results for samples collected from Moreno both before and after his positive test. As a result, Moreno will not face a period of ineligibility for his positive test.

Moreno, 23, saw an 11-fight winning streak come to an end at the hands of Pettis. “The Assassin Baby” owns victories over Dustin Ortiz, Ryan Benoit and Louis Smolka in UFC competition.