UFC Welterweight Jesse Ronson Announces 20-Month USADA Suspension

It appears that Jesse Ronson could be spending a significant amount of time on the sideline after failing a USADA drug test.

The UFC welterweight announced the news in a post on his Facebook page. Ronson says he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Metandienone, which is also known as Dianabol.

“It is with great surprise, and sadness that I have to inform you that I have received a suspension from USADA for the detection of a banned substance in my sample provided to them during an out of competition test,” Ronson wrote. “This has turned my world upside down as it’s a 20-month suspension. I haven’t slept much and have been sick to my stomach as I would never knowingly or purposely take a banned substance.”

Ronson added that he spent $1,000 to have a supplement sent to a testing facility, but it came back clean. The fighter added that he was unable to provide USADA with any of his other supplements that might have been tainted.

“USADA has been working with me for the last few weeks trying to find the reason for my failed test as they (USADA) along with me and my team believe it’s from a tainted supplement,” he wrote. “After many hours and days of researching metandienone and finding that many over the counter supplements in the past have been contaminated with the substance such as Vitamin C, multi-vitamains, magnesium, bcaa’s, creatine and many others. I have sent what I believed to be the tainted supplement in to be tested for [$1,000] to a testing facility, which it came back clean, thus I am at a loss as all the other supplements I was taking at the time have been consumed and I cannot send them in for testing to prove my innocence. Despite the high cost of [$1,000] per supplement I would send them all in to clear my name and get a lesser suspension if I could, but I can’t.”

As it stands now, Ronson won’t be back in the Octagon until 2022. Ronson made his first promotional appearance in more than six years at UFC on ESPN 14, where he submitted Nicolas Dalby in the opening stanza. Ronson lost a trio of split decisions in a previous three-bout promotional stint from 2013 to 2014.

“Those who really know me know I would never take such a thing, as UFC is my dream job and goal and I have sacrificed so much of my time and life to achieve this goal and knowing USADA is very efficient and can drug test you at anytime and anywhere (blood and urine samples collected) and you have to provide your whereabouts 24/7 so they can come test you whenever,” he wrote. “I would never jeopardize this by taking a steroid. I’m a supporter of USADA and its testing and I believe in the system to keep a clean fair sport.”