In the world of professional mixed martial arts, athletes who test positive for cannabis use experience harsh, sometimes exorbitant penalties. Fighters are routinely subject to drug screenings from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and testing positive, especially multiple times, can derail a career. Perhaps the most high-profile of these instances is the case of Nate Diaz, the star UFC fighter suspended for five years and fined $165,000 in 2015. The latest attention-grabbing suspension, however, is Cynthia Calvillo’s. The strawweight MMA star was handed a nine-month suspension on Tuesday for failing a drug test. Calvillo tested positive for THC-COOH, a THC metabolite.
UFC Strawweight Cynthia Calvillo Strapped With Dual Suspensions For Weed
UFC Strawweight Cynthia Calvillo is undeniably a rising star. She began her professional mixed martial arts career in 2016, four years after her amateur debut. In 2017, MMAjunkie.com named her “Newcomer of the Year.”
Despite losing her most recent fight, a December 30 bout with Carla Esparza at UFC 219, Calvillo boasts a 6-1 professional record, with two TKOs and two submissions. She currently sits at No. 9 on the UFC’s official strawweight rankings.
But it was at UFC 219 that Calvillo tested positive for marijuana. Initially, the USADA strapped Calvillo with a six-month sanction for the offense. That announcement came last week, along with a proviso that Calvillo could cut the suspension to three months. To do so, she’d have to go through a drug awareness program.
Then on Tuesday, Calvillo received an additional suspension, this time from the Nevada Athletic Commission. The NAC announced that it was suspending her for nine months for the same positive drug test.
Additionally, the NAC issued Calvillo a $6,150 fine. According to sources, that’s 15 percent of