Grant Dawson Cleared for UFC Norfolk, Needs Additional Drug Testing for Nevada License

UFC featherweight Grant Dawson will presumably be allowed to resume his mixed martial career outside the state of Nevada as he undergoes additional drug testing.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission determined during a Wednesday meeting that Dawson must undergo six months of drug testing – with at least two tests per month – before he can be granted a temporary license to compete in the state on July 1. During that period, Dawson can’t test positive for the Turinabol, or he must remain under the allowable limit of 100 picograms per milliliter of the long-term M3 metabolite of the steroid.

While Dawson is not permitted to compete in Nevada, he will be cleared to fight at UFC Fight Night 169 in Norfolk, Virginia, on Feb. 29. Dawson was originally slated to face Chas Skelly at the event, but Skelly withdrew and the 25-year-old hopes to remain on the card against a replacement opponent. Skelly can also fight in any other state other than Nevada until July 1.

Dawson was initially flagged by USADA in November 2017 for a long-term metabolite of the steroid Turinabol. That positive test occurred some three months after Dawson submitted Adrian Diaz on Season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a UFC contract. Dawson was eventually cleared after USADA could not determine when the fighter had ingested the banned substance. The anti-doping organization also ruled that the amount for which Dawson tested positive did not give him any performance-enhancing benefits.

However, Dawson was flagged for a pulsing effect of the metabolite – similar to the case of Jon Jones prior to UFC 232 – and that resulted in the NSAC pulling the featherweight from a proposed clash with Skelly at UFC 246 on Jan. 18.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the Nevada commission said that it is still seeking more information regarding Dawson’s case. USADA officials testified that there was no evidence that Dawson had taken the banned substance again because only the long-term M3 metabolite had shown up during recent drug tests.

Still, the NSAC plans to revisit the matter in July. If Dawson is licensed, it’s likely he’ll still be required to undergo testing twice a month.

Dawson is currently on a five-bout winning streak that includes victories over Julian Erosa and Michael Trizano in UFC competition. The featherweight prospect owns a 14-1 career mark.